My Idol
by greywizard-dumblemort
Summary: No one really realises how much the person you idolize can shape what you become in future. He looked up to the sky and admired the stars- but stars would never suffice, he wanted the sky. Look upon greatness and covet, young shinobi. Powerful!Naruto
1. Chapter 1

**My Idol**

Everyone needs someone to look up to….

Every growing boy has an idol….

For most, it's their father or even an older sibling (like Sasuke-teme)…

For me it's kinda the same, cept I don't have any older siblings, or a father for that matter. Well there's old man Hokage, he'd be a great idol.

Kind…caring….strong according to what I've heard others saying…. And he's the only one who's always treated me well. Definitely a great idol… but not the one for me.

So who should a young orphan look up to in a village where no-one gives him the time of day, where every day's a struggle…. some people have actually outright attacked me before. What the fuck could I possibly have done? A few harmless pranks here and there, nothing to get overly excited about.

What kid doesn't make trouble now and again? I'm definitely not the worst.

I would still be walking around with a stupid smile on my face, pretending to like these idiots if it wasn't for him. My idol. So strong….

I'm gonna be just like him one day.

There he is training again… I try to emulate his moves while watching from afar, but it gets me nowhere. It's so darn hard!! Arrrghh!! Sometimes I just wanna scream, but then…. I reign myself in….

where would that get me? I'd probably be kicked outta the grounds, and then he'd think me some freaky annoying kid. Well, I've never seen him angry, but I don't think I'd want to. 'Dammit… fuckin bastard makes everything look so easy'.

It's just a kunai Naruto, just relax…

With every throw I can hear those fuckin bastards back in the village laughin at me in my head…. 'Dunce...' 'useless….' They all have names for me, all worse than next. But I'll show them all one day, one day they'll respect me, like they respect him… I used to think becoming Hokage was my ticket to success; dreams of everyone finally taking notice of me, hero-worship, old and young alike, smiling in my presence, trying to be nice to me, making sure I'm comfortable in all my endeavours. You really gotta love oji-san, guys just too nice. Nice… hehehe... now there's something I haven't thought myself to be in a long time. Or anyone else for that matter…. Nice is as rare as humble in this stupid village, no-one's nice, not even my idol. Good old saru-jiji…

There he goes again, doing one of his crazy ass tricks. I used to feel like screaming….screaming and cheering…. But my idol hates noise…. In fact I'm beginning to suspect he hates everything. He's so darn kool though, that bastard. And I try to emulate him to the last. I didn't even realise when I began doing it, but ever since I became consciously aware of it I just couldn't stop myself. He's everything I've always wanted to be. I see how they all look at him, respect….

And he's no Hokage.

There's also a healthy bit of fear in there as well…. That suits me all the better. They all claim to live in fear of me…. Some even going so far as to call me a demon after being brought in by the ANBU to state their case before the Sandaime…

But they don't fear me…..

Not like they fear him….

I'm the one who constantly lived in fear…

they can't begin to understand how I've had to live.

But now I fear nothing….

Why?

Its simple…..

because **he **fears nothing!

One day they will look at me in respect and fear…

one day I will be capable of great acrobatic feats….

One day I will be a respected shinobi, stronger than all others before me…

Maybe one day he'll respect me to,

and dear I think it….

fear me….

…..

….

..

Naaaaaaaaaaaah!

Hehehehehe… that's one of the things I like so much about my idol, I can't see him being scared of anything…. No matter though, one day, I'll finally be somebody, and then maybe I can leave this hell hole.

'…..'

It seems he's noticed me…. Or more likely finally decided to pay attention to me. I'm under no delusions about him not noticing me before though, this time or any other.

'Kuso…. He's coming over here. What the fuck am I gonna say. He's probably gonna kick my ass.' It takes every smidgen of willpower I possess not to buckle under that fuckin frigid stare… But I'm a true soldier, holding out like always.

And the two of us stand staring at each other…

I almost flinch but catch myself just in time. Cold bastard

I divert my stare just a little… need to keep from staring directly into those freaky (but also super freaking awesome) red orbs…

It takes two minutes but it looks like I'm wearing him down.. a slight twitch of his lips looks to me like he's about to say something…

'..'

'……'

'……..'

'hmph…'

'…….'

'….'

'…..'

…

…

..

..

..

.

That bastard….

That fucking bastard shitbag dickhead…..

it took me nearly two whole minutes to realise that I'm standing there in the same shady corner of the training grounds….

alone….

Dismissed…… again………

And by my idol no less….

Like trash… worthless…

I'm visibly shaking now

My rage feeding my chakra…

I punch a tree to the side of me…

….

….

Not even a crack….

My bad mood's just got worse…

It's all his fault….

Fucking teme….

Mr big shot Uchiha….

The lowly Uzumaki Naruto not worthy of his notice….

….

One good thing about me hasn't changed from my pranking days a yr ago… my rage only feeds my determination….its always been constructive…and always will be….

I'll reach you yet my rival….

And then I'll surpass you…

One day you'll look up to me…..

Uchiha Itachi…


	2. Chapter 2

My Idol

**My Idol**

**Chapter 2**

Sitting inside this room full of idiots I just can't help but feel like I don't belong.

If it wasn't for academy attendance being compulsory I wouldn't even be here.

They've got little, if anything, else to teach me. My record speaks for itself.

I can't help but feel a small sense of pride at my achievements; consistently top of the class, in everything. No matter how many times I'm sent outside, denied access to the library or outright ignored, they've yet to keep me oppressed. They kick me out, I learn on my own. Books and scrolls are ridiculously easy to find in this village. Self-teaching, I suspect wouldn't have worked out so well for anyone else. Living on your own and having to figure things out yourself…never getting any help for **anything** has a way of developing genius of sort. Snivelling little cowards… my oppressors. Chuunin ninja assigned to teaching children full time…..

And they thought me useless.

But I've shown these fools… 'I'm on my way, I can feel it'. I very nearly crack a smile, but that just wouldn't do. Shinobi code 40: A shinobi is always in control of his emotions, uncontrolled emotions can lead to mistakes, and mistakes can lead to death.

I've memorised the entire code of conduct, its only fitting after all, how does one become the greatest of shinobi if one does not know the basics?

'Useless...'

The bastard snoring next to me, Nara Shikamaru, a natural genius, yet the laziest shinobi in Fire country, quite possibly the entire elemental nations. He started early just like me, yet I suspect he's going to fail. Such a waste of potential… but no matter, these things shouldn't concern me. The only potential to consider is my own, I must find out the pinnacle of my strength.

''PAY ATTENTION NARUTO!!''

'Hn…. Fool'. The Chuunin Teacher Iruka, another one of those fools I can't stand. First he positively loathes me, and then the guy tries to be all friendly. What kind of a fool does he take me for; it's been a struggle just to survive for so long in this village. If I just got friendly with every fool who tries to be my 'friend' I'd be dead a long time ago.

Pay attention….

To what?

What's left for this fool to teach me…. I'm probably stronger than he is.

I think to myself 'how did I end up in this stupid situation?' …. And then I remember and smile.

It all started with **him. **

I haven't forgotten you my rival…. Not a chance.

Itachi had proven even more of an enigma than I thought him to be. His foolish little brother Sasuke in the lower class is proof enough that it has nothing to do with blood.

They're as different as two people can get.

He's nearly as bad as that stuck up Hyuuga….. Nezi I think his name is… Whatever.

Even after all this time, every humiliating defeat, he still thinks me some kind of rival or something. As if he's even close to my level.

Anyways, forget Hyuuga Nevi…

My rival, Itachi….

Now clan-killer Itachi…

So young and already making a name for yourself… A fairly imposing one at that.

I don't think I could stomach 'Sharingan Itachi', we've already got one of those…. Hatake Kakashi, now a mere shadow of his former self.

It seems my rival's set the bar once again. If it wasn't so silly I'd accuse him of stealing my dreams….

I suppose he couldn't have known that I've always wanted to kill the Uchiha Clan….. Could he?

Naaaah…..

Bearly even spoke to me…. The bastard.

He's mega famous even outside the village now…. Another of my dreams…

It's as though you mock me Itachi…

I remember as he left the village, his parting message to me….

''Realise your full potential….. When you do, come and find me...'' and then he just left. His first words spoken to me directly…. I'm sure the sensation is comparable to a fangirl receiving her first kiss….

Baaaarrrrggggggggghhhh……. Sometimes I really disgust even myself.

I can't believe I compared Itachi talking to me to a kiss… I'm starting to think like those yaoi fangirls. I give a silent shudder to that.

Though my rival, not even you Itachi, could get me to swing that way.

...

...

...

Anyways… that fucking bastard decides to talk to me finally, at the most inopportune of times…. All those times I could have used some advice… some guidance… And now he's gone.

Leaving behind the village I've longed to leave for so long.

I'm glad I have taken my education seriously, I know all about hunter-nin and ANBU.

I wouldn't get a mile away before I'm killed. I'm simply not strong enough yet…

But I will be...

'Come and find you Itachi…' I allow myself a small chuckle at that. Truly Uzumaki Naruto showing any kind of emotion besides determination is a rare sight, as evidenced by the now gaping student body. Fools…. You'd think they'd never heard someone chuckle before.

I lazily dance through the taijutsu routine required of me by that fool Iruka…. Having me in front of the class performing like some animal…. All for a chuckle… Fucker.

I silently recall how I came to posses my prowess in taijutsu….

It's not something easy to learn from just scrolls. There's no way to know if your stances are correct, the best footing, how to properly guard…. And I was especially horrible…. I suspect still would be if lady luck hadn't decided to smile on me that day.

The day I met Konoha's Green Beast, Maito Gai…

Both a blessing and a curse, the man with his insufferable chants about youthful power and other such drivel. The spandex clad jounin one day interrupted my pitiful taijutsu training and offered to give me some pointers…..

I didn't even sense him watching me…

It didn't matter though, far be it from me to spurn **any **kind of training I'm actually offered…. And what a treat it turned out to be.

Maito Gai's training was near torturous, but it paid dividends… massive ones… and the results became visible very quickly….

Every stance became rigid, every block solid, my speed developed by leaps and bounds, my muscles wiry yet powerful... and when I found out just who Maito Gai was, around the same time I went looking for info on Itachi, I threw myself into my training ten-fold.

It seems even Konoha's pariah can have a blessed stroke of luck at times…. A taijutsu master….. **The **taijutsu master…. And this guy just decided to help me…

I nearly cried.

My training with guy only lasted a few weeks though, he informed me that he already had a 'youthful student' and that he thought my taijutsu was 'sufficient for the academy'. The guy deserves the name beast…. I'm nowhere near master, and probably never will be, but, my taijutsu is far superior to anything I've seen even the teachers at the academy perform. Well, maybe not the style… its just academy style taijutsu with a few extra bits a bobs mixed in… but my stances and fluidity thanks to Gai's training are superior….. I'm sure of it. Sometimes when I'm practising I feel like I'm Itachi…

'_Come and find me….._'

'I won't be coming anywhere Itachi…'. He must think me a fool…like his foolish little brother.

I've always had a gift for fairly accurately being able to gauge someone's strength, just like I could tell even before learning of his reputation that Maito Gai was a dangerous ninja.

A shinobi of Itachi's power, it will take me years of unreal training to match him (i'm certain he's not going to stop getting stronger now that he's left), if it was a few years ago I'd go running just as soon as I learned one or two techniques thinking myself to be strong. Thankfully, I no longer suffer such delusions. The gap between me and Itachi is simply too wide at the moment…heck, the gap between me and most chuunin I've been swearing at all day is fairly big….(well, not the academy fools anyway) Itachi'll just have to wait for that meeting, I must focus on becoming much stronger first.

I've thought over Itachi words many times…. The words of a clan-killer…

Not that it matters to me; I hated the Uchiha Clan temes and was silently cheering when I learned the news.

'Realise your full potential….'

Those are the words I pay attention to.

Forget finding Itachi, I've found the source of his immense strength.

The inspiration behind it….

The philosophy guiding the stoic Uchiha.

Realising your own potential….

Testing your strength…

Trying to find that upper limit…. And then breaking it.

Forget the power of the five Kages…

Of the Densetsu no Sannin…

Hell even old salamander Hanzo himself.

Itachi's greatest strength lies in trying to measure the extent of his own potential power…. Irrespective of everyone else.

It's the nindo I now live by

To measure my capacity…..


	3. Chapter 3

My Idol

**My Idol**

**A/N: **Seems I've been forgetting my disclaimer. I do not own Naruto. If I did, he wouldn't be useless.

Chapter 3:

It has begun.

Step 1 complete. I'm a ninja now.

It's taken a while but I've managed to properly start on my journey.

The genin test was just a few days ago, and I passed…..

With flying colours…

As if there was ever any doubt.

Flashback

_'' And finally Team nine, Ami Tenten….''_

_Tenten….. excellent._

_Weapon specialist. The only person I've seen with superior aim is Itachi. Not a fangirl, always a plus…_

_''Uzumaki Naruto….''_

_Like I didn't see that coming…. I'm one of the only two people left._

_''And Rock Lee…''_

_Again, not unexpected…. Dead-last and rookie of the year… some things never change. Rock Lee's academy scores don't do his talent justice though. His taijutsu's superb; I'd recognise that style anywhere as well. So this is Gai-sensei's 'youthful student'. This team has promise…_

''_Sensei: Maito Gai''_

''_YOSH! WITH GAI-SENSEI'S TEACHING I SHALL BECOME A TRULY GREAT SHINOBI!''_

_.._

…

_Well, that was predictable…._

_But a good result none the less….._

End Flashback

I've been thinking through the outcome of the genin-team selection. It's more than favourable. At first I was worried about one dimensional training, but it doesn't matter… Ninjutsu is easy enough to learn, I've already got a fairly good repertoire as it is. With Maito Gai I expect my taijutsu to ascend to new levels, along with my overall speed. I can't be killed if I can't be caught…

Gai-sensei introduced himself…. I can't even remember what he said. I tuned him out for most of it. There's only so much 'youthful inspiration' one can take. Rock Lee was just as I expected, a taijutsu specialist unable to use anything else but wholly determined to prove himself by mastering taijutsu to the extent of his elite tutor.

Tenten's introduction took me a bit by surprise, though in a good way….

'…_to be as strong as the legendary kunoichi Tsunade…''_

A worthy goal, definitely not useless that one….

The Team's dynamic is perfect…. Rock Lee short-range, taijutsu… Tenten mid-range, long-range projectiles, decent speed and a killer aim. Me, the balance… nin, gen, and tai jutsu…. Hopefully some kenjutsu in future. If I can get some tips from Tenten and a good sparing partner out of Lee I could see this working out beautifully.

\-\-\

Gai's test wasn't anything like I was expecting. Usually it's a test of teamwork, instead it's an all out brawl to 'test our youthful flames'. Either this guy trusts us to work as a team, which I agree, we probably would without prompting, or he wants this team with Lee and I so badly that he's forgone the usual test. Or maybe it's some other obscure reason that only Gai-sensei can come up with. Who knows….

As a goken style shadow punch sends me rocketing back to the earth I can't help but think… 'who cares'

I can feel myself growing already…

\-\-\

Whoever came up with the phrase 'be careful what you wish for' must have been the wisest of men in centuries…

My back hurts, my feet hurt, my arms hurt, fuck every bone in my body feels broken and mended …..repeatedly. I can barely feel my fucking arms……

I thought that the training I did with Gai sensei before was insane…. I was wrong.

The first session left me unconscious for 2 hours…. That might not seem like a long time but for me it is… I've never been unconscious for longer than an hour after injury.

Its strange…. But I'm already reaping the rewards… I can feel every muscle tightening, every stance become more second nature.

Rock Lee still beats me into the ground….

I can't believe this fuckin guy…… he was an unknown not too long ago with average taijutsu and nothing else… if this experience has taught me anything its that Gai-sensei deserves the term elite tutor far more than even that prick Ebisu… even though I'll admit his record is pretty good. All of his teams have gone on to become jounin.

I absently rub the phantom pains in my ribs and wince… 'Rival eh'

I think he'd actually make a better one that Neji. I've finally learned the bastards name, not that it matters, he's still nothing. I would have beaten Lee easily as well but I refuse to use nin or genjutsu against him. If I've learned anything from rock Lee it's that taijutsu is a powerful weapon, it's also the one I've found hardest to improve quickly on my own. I'll take any advancement I can get fighting Rock Lee.

Heh… he was a bit disappointed to hear I wasn't one of those geniuses he's dedicated his life to beating…. Gai-sensei told my team-mates a bit about me and how he first met me…

Genius of hard work…

Its describes me perfectly…

I've had to work for everything. Be it food, ninjutsu from stolen scrolls or even equipment that the stipend from old man Hokage wasn't enough to provide. Well, I stole it… but that's still hard work. I really am a genius…

\-\-\

These D rank missions are really starting to get on my nerves…

I can tell even my most youthful and exuberant teammate is starting to get aggravated… the little tick above his brow is evidence enough…

Capturing cats and delivering groceries is hardly the work of a ninja…. But its part of development… and I can understand. Doesn't mean I have to like it. I'm certain that we're ready for our first C-rank mission. A couple rogues and bandits should be easy pickings for us four. Hell Tenten would probably kill every enemy on our first C rank 200 yards before I even get to throw a punch.

As we step into the office I feel a bit of my old irrational side surface….

''Team 9 reporting another complete D rank mission Hokage-sama!''

Cue nice-guy pose….

''Ahh…. Gai. Another mission completed successfully, and in good time I might add.''

''Thank you Hokage–sama'' replies Sensei

''Let me see what else we've go...'' but that's as far as he gets, I really need to work on my control.

''Oji-..Hokage-sama, if I may,''

I get a nod in response….. its enough.

''Hokage-sama I feel that my team and I are ready for a C-ranked mission.''

''YOSH! NARUTO-KUN'S FLAMES OF YOUTH ARE BURNING BRIGHTLY AS ALWAYS! I AGREE HOKAGE-SAMA, OUR TEAM IS READY TO TAKE OUR MISSIONS TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND OVERCOME ALL OBST-''

''Lee… if I may''

''Sorry Naruto-kun, please continue''

..

..

.. ''As I was saying Hokage-sama, I feel that we will be able to handle a C-ranked mission. Also, the experience will be great for us. Even if the mission turns out to be slightly more difficult than expected, our talents are above-par and our sensei is one of Konoha's strongest jounin.''

The office was quiet after that….

I was sure Gai-sensei was going to say something, even if only to give a gentle reprimand but he stayed quiet in apparent agreement. The Hokage also seemed to be contemplating quietly….

'_You've truly grown Naruto-kun….. though I can't help but miss the happy young boy who called me oji-san. This village I'm ashamed to call my own killed him. I've failed to protect you as a boy…. But I won't fail you as a ninja' _were the Fire Shadow's thoughts….

''Alright…. I agree. Your team is very talented and are at, If not above, the appropriate level for a C-ranked mission.''

Everyone seemed stunned by this decision…. Even me, a little. But I knew the old man wouldn't let me down… we're ready. I know it.

''I have a C-ranked body guard mission for your team to complete. A merchant is heading to the capital of Fire Country and will require protection against bandits along the way. Meet him at the gate tomorrow morning at 7. Dismissed''

With a collective cry of ''HAI HOKAGE-SAMA'' we all left.

I couldn't help but feel a small bit of excitement well up inside me, but the staring village pussies made me force it down ruthlessly. I felt sensei's glance even from behind me, I knew he was looking at me in concern… but I don't need anyone's pity. All these fools can do is look. Since the last guy got sent to the hospital none of the idiots have tried anything physical. I see a few of them looking at my forehead protector and a little bit of fear enters there snivelling little hearts…

My mood's lifted instantly.

I almost crack a smile at that… It's not much of an accomplishment for a ninja. Having civilians fear you. But its enough for me for now… I'd have killed the last fool instead of breaking his arms and legs if I thought I'd get away with it. I have enough problems as it is though, the civilian council would no doubt have found some way to have me executed. The old man wouldn't allow it though…. Every Konoha citizen has the right to defend themselves after all. Any objection instantly quashed by a small about of Ki from the old man. Even scared me a little….

I can't help but think about how much of a relief it'll be to get out of this stupid village if only for a little while. I've never been out before and it'll be nice to get away from these fools for a little while.

\-\-\

Packing for a mission…. I like this feeling. Making sure I've got all my weapons, ration bars, soldier pills…. Though I hardly think I'll need them. Only bandits after all…. Even then, I've got more chakra than most people I know… its only grown since I've first started training. I wonder if that's why all those villagers hate me… my potential. That and my birth date along with the whisker marks…

Fools…

Calling me fox…

And demon...

If I was a demon fox you think I'd have been taking all that abuse as a child. I'd have obliterated this whole village and then met those fools in hell and tortured them for eternity…

That actually gets me to smile.

Back to packing…

Not sure I'll need ninja wire but whatever… better safe than sorry.

I almost wish for a little action on this mission… but if most nuke-nin have even a quarter of Itachi's ability… I'm definitely not ready.

Windmill shuriken...I haven't seen this in ages… stole this from a prick who threw vegetables at me as a kid.

Whatever… like I said. Better safe than sorry.

Tomorrow's gonna be a great day……

\-\-\

Its such a shit day…..

Maybe the heavens feel like they've given me too much of an easy time lately.

Of all the merchants to have to guard today it had to be this one. This pricks been hating on me for as long as I can remember… Use to smack me around as a kid as well.

From here I can pick up little bits of his shouting match with Gai-sensei…. Lee and Tenten seem interested as well…

I make out 'brat', 'demon', 'kill', 'never' and some other shit about 'steal', like I'm some common thief. I only steal the finest wares thank you very much.

My face is emotionless as always but I can't help but feel anger welling up inside me. What the fuck could this prick really have against me…? Village assholes are the biggest cowards I've ever seen… the beat me for years and called me demon because apparently I remind them of the Kyuubi. Take a wild guess where these fuckin pricks were when the Kyuubi was slaughtering left right and centre… turning the surrounding forest to dust and ninjas to splatters.

Cowering…

Like little sheep… inside there fucking houses cowering..

Then these punks find a defenceless kid and decide he should take the Kyuubi's punishment….

Until he grows a pair of balls and learns some fuckin moves and beats the shit back out of his attackers… now… they've gone back to just glaring.

COWARDS!

I fucking hate them!

But these feelings aren't new and I master my emotions right on schedule…

Gai sensei mentions something about the law and the fool finally shuts about.

Probably forgot its treason to attack shinobi, fool…we'd be well within our rights to beat this prick into oblivion if he even dares touch me.

We leave without much more fuss but I can feel Tenten and Lee's eyes on my back…

They know better than to ask though… My cold personality's a few more degrees below zero today… they've got good survival instincts it seems… they'll go far.

I can feel that prick staring at me as well… There's no hint of that usual fear I get from the others though…he's simply too stupid to fear me. What could a boy do to him…

Funny he recognises me as a boy when it suits him, yet still thinks me a demon. I'll never understand these people.

Never mind the fact that I'm a ninja and guarding him on this mission…I'm half tempted to henge into a bandit and kill him if any fighting brakes out. I'll most probably be caught though… Gai-sensei's no fool…. Add that to the fact that Itachi's never had a failed mission… and so.. this prick gets to live a bit longer. To lose to my rival in terms of mission success is unacceptable.

\-\-\

The scenery goes by pretty slowly…. I really hate civilians.

Its soooooo slow…. Well it **was **slow, but I can feel a little bandit piggy in the bushes not far from here. I tense a bit and notice my teammates do the same. These bandits really, actually, truly believed that they'd remain hidden, undetected, by ninja….

Hahahahahahahahahaha…..

Times like this I really wished I'd show a bit more emotion. At least I'd be able to laugh at these fools out loud. And maybe roll on the ground a little.

One… two… three kunais from Tenten and the fun's over.

Bitch…

I knew this would happen…

I'm not gonna get to fight am i?

I just sulk quietly as Gai-sensei and Lee enthusiastically congratulate Tenten on a 'most youthful display of dexterity'.

I think that merchant prick can sense my disappointment… he's looking at me smugly as if to say I'm useless…..

…

…

…

..

Fuck Itachi… this prick's gonna die…

…

..

No.

I must master myself… or I'll never become a great ninja.

Forget Tenten

Forget that merchant civilian prick..

_.._

_My capacity.._

_.._

\-\-\

We're nearly there…

This guy… I've finally remembered why I hate him so much more than the others…. He can still read me behind the emotionless mask…. He can tell his stare's annoying the fuck outta me… so he keeps doing it.

I'm broken out of my reverie quickly…

Bandits… lots of them.

The fates love me again….

Is this my reward for rising above the baiting…

Dunno….

Don't care….

I react quicker than my teammates….

I'll show this bitch why he should fear me.

Two shuriken fly in quick succession… I don't need to be Tenten to nail a guy right between the eyes…

I dodge a hasty slash from one of the charging cavemen…. That's all they are… cavemen… no finesse…

I've got finesse….

Let me show you.

I hastily draw a kunai and jump into the thick of things.

I block a slash from one guy while using my other hand to chop a guy in the neck.

That's gotta hurt…

I tire of matching this guy's strength against mine. I'll admit he's strong for a caveman… but he's got nothing on sensei and Lee… my kunai hastily finds itself through his kidney.

I jump back just in time… no use wasting a jump

''**Konoha Senpuu!**''

The leaf whirlwind sends the bastard packing.

I fall into a crouch only to sweep the legs of one bandit. From a leg sweep straight in a full spin kick. A spin kick into a block. I snatch one guy's arm and punches his elbow making him forcibly double jointed.

Instead of thanks… I get screams…

You're welcome.

The bandits are shaking now…. They've realised they're nothing to skilled ninja… I see my teammates handling the situation as expected. Tenten's up in a branch firing shuriken from a scroll…. Lee and Gai-sensei are in the thick of it handling these punks like pros. The merchant prick's gaping at me…. That's right you bastard.

Let's give him a show.

It's wholly unnecessary but I start pulling the guns out…. Its time to make a name for myself…

''**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu**''

Inhale….an release… a giant fireball leaves the area heated…. six bandits crispy…. Gai-sensei and lee gaping… Tenten contemplative…. and our friendly merchant downright disbelieving.

Its gives indescribable satisfaction to see the bastard shiver despite the heat.

It's far from over though…. Six more to go.

We've all had our fun…. Lee alone could have had this group beaten in a small matter of minutes… we've enjoyed ourselves… and now its time for the closing act.

My hands blur through seals… well a blur to the bandits and the civilian anyway

'**Fūton: Daitoppa**'

A miniature hurricane explodes from my lungs blasting the final six into the surrounding trees…

I don't even wince at the loud cracks indicating broken bones…

Music to my ears.

Somw quick kunai from Tenten saves most of them from their misery. Oh well..

Everyone's looking at me…

Tenten looks impressed…

Gai sensei looks proud…

Lee's got that 'I'll surpass my rival' look he used to give Neji

Our favourite merchant…. Well… he makes it all worthwhile… Beneath the disgusted 'you monster' look there's such potent fear…. undiluted, just like I like it…

The quaking legs, sweaty shivering palms and heavy breaths give you away old man…

There's might even be a bit of respect for my skill lurking in those eyes…no matter how slight…

Oh but you should fear me dear merchant…

I am a monster…

And as soon as I escape this cage I'm gonna kill every last one of you scum.

A hand on my shoulder breaks me out of my thoughts…

The shivering merchant and the disappointed look now on Gai-sensei's face leads me to believe that I've been unintentionally letting out a bit of Ki…

Not that the bastard doesn't deserve it…

Can't have sensei thinking me unstable though. Fuck…

''Sumimasen Gai-sensei… it's just that I've had bad experiences with that guy in the past.''

Always best to play the sympathy card with Gai.

''Don't worry Naruto-kun. TODAY YOU'VE PROVEN YOURSELF ALONG WITH LEE AND TENTEN! YOUR YOUTHFUL FLAMES ARE BURNING BRIGHTLY!''

I can't help but crack a small smile at that….

Same old Gai-sensei… he's crazy… but I'll miss him when I leave.

No point worrying about that… I've got a long way to go still…

''COME ALONG MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS! WE'RE NEARLY TO THE CAPITAL! LET US GET THERE BEFORE NIGHTFALL! IF WE CANNOT, WHEN WE RETURN TO KONOHA WE SHALL DO 200 ONE HANDED PUSH UPS!''

Dammit….

\-\-\

Fucking slow civilians…

Tenten looks murderous…

We're finally here…. But its nightfall.

Never thought I'd ever be dreading training as much as I am now.

Whatever.

\-\-\

I can't help but look at the sights…. I gotta admit, the Fire country capital city's beautiful. The view from the hill side we're standing on nearly leaves me breathless…. Konoha's such a shit village.

In no time we're at the gates…

Our papers are checked by what looks like Konoha ninja on duty in the city. One of them gives me a disbelieving look. He's probably been gone for a while and didn't know I'm a ninja...

Hmph…

Who cares…?

We're walking through what looks like a market and I can't help but marvel at how busy the streets are, even at this time of night…

Merchants hustling their wares and hagglers looking for bargains…

There seems to be a lot of samurai here as well… I'd heard that they guard the city and the fire lord. I can sense a lot of chakra from some of these guys though, and not just that, my special senses are screaming 'dangerous' when I pass by these guys.

Definitely not normal samurai…

Hmmn…

Interesting… I'll have to look into this. I've never heard of such strong samurai. Ninja usually make them sound only marginally more dangerous than a bandit with a sword. I can tell this could be something useful if my search bears any fruit…

We're here finally it seems… wherever this guy's staying. It looks like he knows the two guys heading towards us…

''Mahiro-san… its good that you've returned.''

''It's good to see you too Kenji-san, Najito-san. I see this place hasn't changed much in the past 2 years…''

I tune out the rest of their conversation. It doesn't concern me.

Well didn't….. but it seems his friends want an introduction.

''Uzumaki Naruto''

''Ami Tenten''

''ROCK LEE!''

''KONOHA'S GREEN BEAST MAITO GAI!''

I feel like slapping myself in the head… I should be used to this by now but you can't help but feel at least a little embarrassed when these two start.

''Murisho Kenji and this is Himura Najito…. Nice to meet you shinobi-san….''

''These fine shinobi escorted me here from Konoha…. A few bandits attacked but they were dealt with swiftly and very effectively. They are most impressive….''

I can't help but feel like that praise is for every one besides me… especially since the fool's placed himself in a position blocking me from view and has his arms outstretched indicating my team-mates.

A little tick develops over my eyebrow but I can let this slide…. No problem…

Even after that display with the bandits and the undeniable fear this guy has for me now he still mocks me….

I've come to the conclusion that most people are just incredibly stupid.

No one seems to notice my position except me…

I look at the guy in front of me and can't help but smirk a little….

He makes it too easy… a kunai to the base of that skull and its lights out. Never turn your back on an enemy ninja… an we're definitely enemies. Thoughts of every shinobi in the capital swarming in on me and a public execution manage to stay my hand.

Let him have his fun…

It doesn't matter…… his time will come.

\-\-\

After the introductions were over, and tales told of our valiant battles against the evil bandits, we finally parted ways with the old fools… but not without Kenji-san and Najito-san requesting escort back to Konoha.

Things have turned out better than I expected…

One C-ranked mission turned into two as soon as Gai-sensei accepted.

I'm on my way…. I can't help but feel Chuunin's not too far away.

\-\-\

**A/N: Exams are finally coming to a close. This semester's been hectic. Thanks for the reviews. I've never done a story before so some advice on where I should take this would be welcome. Naruto will eventually begin to seem a bit super-ish but if you've watched every episode of Naruto you'll know that there's quite a few super-ish ninja in the elemental nations. Don't worry; he won't be quite that strong for a while though. Kakashi said it best in the wave episodes 'There are ninja in this world younger than you and stronger than me'. Itachi was such a ninja… and there are many others…. So as Naruto grows and becomes stronger I don't want any complaints about him being too strong. 1) Its not at all far fetched and 2) in fanfiction, the author's god.**

**Ja**


	4. Chapter 4

My Idol

**My Idol**

Chapter 4

Chuunin Exams huh….

Sounds interesting.

I wonder if Gai-sensei will allow us to go.

Probably not, it's in Iwa this year. They're not exactly on the best terms with Konoha at the moment.

Still, it'd be pretty interesting to see how my skills measure up to other genin.

Being rookie of the year is practically meaningless as a measure in the ninja world. There are just too many people younger and stronger than me. Its not that I'm worried or jealous, I'm confident in the strengths that I have and I've constantly been patching up any weaknesses rigorously over the past few months. Still…. I'd be good to see how I stack up against the rest.

It's only natural after all to be curious.

The past few months have come along smoothly. Team Gai is garnering a lot of interest. Apparently we show promise….

Whatever.

The effective handling of our first C-ranked mission and the follow up C-rank that resulted has made us a dependable genin team. We've received quite a few more C-ranked missions since then.

I still haven't got a chance to fight any ninja…

its ok I suppose, being dead before reaching my potential is one of the few fears that I have.

That… and not being remembered.

Old habits die hard it seems…. When one spends their entire life being ignored they can't help but strive for acknowledgement. That's why I **will** be the best.

But it's too soon to draw too much attention to myself….. I'm not strong enough…yet.

\-\-\

I've spent a bit of time searching for new information on techniques…. They used to come so easily but it seems that anything more advanced than what I already know is significantly better protected.

I'll have to keep looking; I don't want to have to resort to going to the old man.

Ninjutsu will just have to wait…

I think its time I up my weights as well.

They're so fucking cumbersome though….

'Steady now Naruto….'

No pain no gain as they say.

Chakra enhanced speed is all well and good… But having Rock Lee as a teammate can really open your eyes to the wonders of good body conditioning.

I've never taken the easy way either…

If I'm fast without chakra…. With chakra… well, I can't wait to see the fruits of my labour.

I doubt I'll be as fast as Lee anytime soon… no other genin I know is.

But the gap's not that wide… besides, I can't devote the amount of time he does to taijutsu training and body conditioning.

My large chakra reserves are something of a double edged sword. It takes constant work to make sure my control remains up to par. Worse still, the more chakra control exercises I do the larger my chakra capacity grows…

Fuck it… it balances out I suppose. More waste…more to waste.

\-\-\

Genjutsu…

Very useful….

I've been trying to learn a bit as well lately…. All in the name of eliminating vulnerability.

The things you can do with this shit…

So under-used…

So much potential…

Shinobi pride themselves on deception… illusion has so many applications in our line of work.

We aren't valiant princes on horses with long swords and shields…

We're silent, stealthy, emotionless assassins who skulk through shadows and slit the throats of sleeping marks…

A well placed Genjutsu or two can prove to be invaluable.

My stealth is nothing to scoff at… its something I pride myself on… watching those rich pricks wonder who robbed them… and then watching their facial expressions as they silently wished it was me who did it, just for the chance to 'take care of the demon'. Sweet irony…

This Genjutsu business has merit…. I'll return to it later.

Just in time it seems. There's a knock at my door.

\-\-\

Well…. This is a surprise.

For once I actually, accurately voice my thoughts….

''Well…. This is a surprise...''

''Hey Naruto….. I erm… I was wondering if you could help me with my training…. Please?''

Ok….

Tenten's my teammate right… I suppose there's nothing wrong with helping a bit, she's proven very useful to me after all.

''Err.. Sure….''

''Thanks! Meet me at Training ground 10 ok! Bye Naruto!''

….

…

..

''Bye…''

I absently rub my cheek were my exuberant teammate decided to kiss me…

I'll never understand women…

Presumptuous bitch…

I hope Tenten keeps this training session professional. I have no interest in any kind of relationship with anyone at this point. Last I heard she had a crush on that arrogant Hyuuga.

I've never known her to be a fangirl type kunoichi though…

She better not start either…

I'm not averse to beating such foolishness out of her… she's a ninja afterall, girl or not.

I won't have our effective team reduced to the garbage I've seen come out of the academy years prior to ours. Foolish talentless genin hung up on ninja bedtime stories...

I'm ranting…

I'll stop now….

Better get going….

\-\-\

I've always been one to admire strength…

But now…

I can't help but look past Tenten's strength and marvel at how one dimensional she is….

A part of me knows that that's hardly fair considering Lee…

But life isn't fair… besides Lee's like that out of necessity.

She's got a bad habit… a glaring weakness…

I actually feel a bit ashamed that I hadn't noticed this before. I suppose it's because of how well our team balances out.

But I can't ignore this… It affects me until I'm chuunin and no longer part of this team.

Against good ninjutsu she's useless…

This is becoming painful…

I better fix this…

''Tenten...''

She doesn't respond straight away but after a bit it seems she's paused trying to impale me with kunai.

''You need something else..''

''….''

''…..''

''………..'''

Smooth…..

It seems I've become infinitely more articulate since becoming a ninja. I really need to start speaking a bit more….

…

..

Maybe not…

I better explain myself… she seems caught between confusion and indignation.

''What I mean is Tenten…. You're too one dimensional…''

I deftly catch the kunai half an arm's length before its intended target… my face…

It seems I've caused offence…

''I understand you're a weapon's specialist… But being a specialist doesn't mean that it should be the only thing you can do aptly. You're a ninja Tenten… other ninja are trained to spot weakness… and yours is too obvious…''

Well…

I thought it was good enough…

Apparently not…

A hail of weapons descends upon me… I can't help but feel vindicated as I demonstrate exactly what I meant.

''**Fūton: Daitoppa''**

A small hurricane escapes my lips and sends not only the weapons but Tenten herself flying across the grounds…

…

..

''And that's just one ninjutsu…''

..

…

As she looks like she's about to cry I can't help but feel a small measure of guilt…

I quash it ruthlessly…

There can be no sympathy…

Perhaps a compromise…

''I'm willing to teach you… Have Gai-sensei improve your taijutsu a bit more and I'll teach you ninjutsu….'' I trail off… slightly intimidated by the look she's giving me…

How the fuck do I get myself into these situations…

\-\-\

It's been a few days since my meet with Tenten…

She's truly a rare gem when one considers the kunoichi standards at the academy…

She immediately sought Gai-sensei's aid in improving her taijutsu.

He of course immediately complied after he finished crying over how youthful his students are…

Tenten's already learnt one ninjutsu and has started integrating it into her weapons technique.

I suspect she chose to learn a fire technique as it's usually effective against wind…

I can't help but smile a little…

She's still no match for me...

She seems to have rid herself of any latent fan-girl tendencies that had been surfacing…

That's good…

She hasn't tried to kiss me again either…always a plus…

I've never been comfortable with such contact.

Hmph…

Anyways… Our training seems to be coming along nicely…

Though it's unlikely he'll agree, I feel soon will be a good time to broach the subject of the Chuunin exams with Gai-sensei.

\-\-\

I heal pretty quickly…

I dunno why it's taken me so long to realise this…

Small cuts I had gained through sparring with Lee have already disappeared come the end of training…

I've read many things about shinobi… I've always made sure to use as much of the knowledge I have access to as possible…

I've never really been sick…but…

Shinobi rarely suffer ailment… the constant usage of Chakra and the unusually large amount of it present in a shinobi's body tends to stave off most minor diseases…

This though… this is something else…

It seems almost as though it's a Kekkei Genkai…

But that's impossible.

Or maybe not…

It's not strange for people in the ninja world to have advanced blood lines… It is especially possible in my case considering that my heritage is unknown.

No one else I know of has carried the name Uzumaki…

Maybe I should ask the old man…

Or maybe not…

I allow myself a small smirk at that…

The less people know about me the better…

I need every advantage I can get.

\-\-\

I'm bored….

I've taken a break from cutting myself to see how long it takes to heal… the time seems to shorten after each consecutive cut…

Perhaps it's a feature of my bloodline that allows my body to accelerate healing by remembering how a wound or ailment is treated/healed.

I'll have to look into this later…

But for now…

I'm bored….

..

……

……..

…..

……

I briefly entertain the idea of challenging my self proclaimed 'rival' to alleviate my boredom…

I reconsider just as quickly…

Best not to encourage him…

Dammit…

I'm running low on reading materials as well…

I'd hoped to be better prepared in case we actually got to attend the Chuunin Ex-…

Fuck… I've gotta find Gai-sensei...

\-\-\

''NARUTO-KUN YOU ARE A MOST SHINING EXAMPLE OF YOUTHFULNESS! YOSH! TEAM TEN IS MOST DEFINITELY READY FOR THE CHUNNIN EXAMS! YOUR TEAM WORK IS THE GREATEST AMONGST GENIN!!''

….

..

..

….

……

Ok…

..

So… er…

''Gai-sensei, since you think we're ready, are you going to be entering us into the exams…?''

It's hard to mask my excitement… I guess rank matters to me more than I thought…

''I'm sorry Naruto-kun…''

Just hearing Gai take a sombre tone is enough to let me know what his response is going to be…

I've already worked it out myself afterall. He's merely confirming my suspicions…

''Iwa and Konoha are not friendly villages despite the current neutrality agreement between our villages…'' I tune out a bit of the history lesson….i know all of this already…..

Honestly….. What a waste of time.

It's a bit strange when Gai-sensei goes from all exuberant and …'youthful'… to lecturing and almost sage-like…

''……and so Naruto-kun the Hokage has decided that it would not be wise to send out any genin teams, especially a team that shows as much promise as ours to potentially hostile territory…''

''I see… I guess it makes sense. Thanks anyways sensei… I suppose it only gives us more time to prepare.''

''YOSH! BY THE TIME THE NEXT CHUUNIN EXAMS COMES, WE WILL BE MOST READY AND OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH WILL BURN BRIGHTER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER TEAM!!''

''Er… ok… errm… arigato sensei… I must leave now. Thank you for your time…''

I exit through the window before he can start another of his rants… I'm a bit peeved about the exams but I suppose its not so bad…

six/seven months is not a very long time to wait…

Besides... a new batch of rookies including Itachi's brother will be graduating soon…

The next few months will be very interesting…

\-\-\

The past few weeks have proven monotonous and wholly unsatisfying.

My training is coming along and I can feel myself getting stronger… but I need some new techniques to learn…

The taijutsu I know is polished…

My ninjutsu flawless…

My Genjutsu... though only two techniques so far… coming along nicely.

I need something new… even a new chakra control exercise…

I finally give in and decide it's time I do something about my situation..

I take a step out onto the window ledge..

It's been a while since I've stolen anything good….

\-\-\

I slink through the shadowed opening I created in the roof back in the day.

It's been a while since I've come here…

I'm determined to find more this time though…

Everywhere else that contains anything remotely both ninja and useful to me is too well protected… I'd rather not take my chances with the security at the ANBU headquarters or the shinobi library…

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I mean it wouldn't do for anyone to able to walk into the place under henge and leave with village secrets…

I've stolen scrolls from fairly risky places in the past but those types of scrolls are beneath my current level now.

So here I stand... at one of the first places I hit.

It relatively empty since Itachi slaughtered the inhabitants…

I feel a great deal of anticipation…

I haven't been to the Uchiha clan compound in a while...

I'm fairly certain other ninja have had the idea to raid it before I did… I know most of the valuables will be missing. It doesn't do much to deter me though…

There must be some good stuff left here…

They couldn't have taken everything…

I mean…there's still Uchiha Sasuke...

All of the stuff belongs to him now…

Besides…

Though most were unbearable, the Uchiha were a crafty bunch… I know there must be some good stuff hidden around this place...

Better start looking…

\-\-\

Nothing…

Nada…

Un-fucking-believable…..

It's either the elite fucking Uchiha clan's been robbed of everything except the basic library at the clan head's house or I'm just too shitty a ninja to find anything of merit.

I really hate having to doubt myself…

But I know that these were ninja with years more experience than me, a pretty fucking impressive Kekkei Genkai and genius ninja like Shisui and Itachi… It's not out of the realm of possibility that I simply can't find anything because the good stuff is too well hidden…

I fucking hate this...

I've managed to find two Genjutsu I don't know, but they both require the sharingan to perform…

Useless…

Keep searching…

\-\-\

It's been about 3 hours now…

I think I've finally found something that might prove useful…

I recognise this symbol on the wall from some of the scrolls Tenten carries around… it's a seal… no doubt a blood seal of some sort…

I quickly grab a book on basic sealing from the small library in the house and return to the seal.

Yep….

Blood seal…

Seems this one will only allow access to someone of the creator's blood…

Well… this is Itachi's old home…

So I guess Sasuke's blood will do…

Damn…

I can't kill him though…

No doubt they'll launch a full investigation and I'll be caught…

..

….

…

….

..

I really scare myself sometimes…. Fuck…

You don't need to kill him you psycho…

calm the fuck down…

Just a little blood will do…

Just a little bit…

...

...

...

Now to find that prick and make him bleed…

\-\-\

This will take quite a bit of finesse…

It's not easy to make a sleeping ninja bleed without them noticing…

Fuck…

\-\-\

I stick around for a bit and it seems I've lucked out.

He needs to go to the bathroom… excellent…

\-\-\

Ok I've got the blood….

Pretty easily too….

This guy has kunai and shuriken lying all over the place… he didn't find it at all strange as he 'accidentally' cut his foot on one of them…

Oh well… all the better for me…

I exercise my well honed patience and wait for Sasuke to clean himself up and return to bed.

It wouldn't do for him to wake in the middle of my raid due to some unexpected effect of activating the seal…

\-\-\

So he's asleep…

Excellent… I've waited long enough.

I hastily apply the blood to the seal and watch in fascination as the wall slides back a bit to reveal a hidden room of some sort…

It's dark and murky but the lights come on automatically…

I think it has something to do with the seals on the floor, I can feel a slight drain on my chakra… I assume it's to power the lights...

I can't help but marvel at that… It seems this trip tonight was not a wasted one afterall… Even if I don't find anything in here I've found something else to add to my list of 'look-intos and under-used ninpo'. From blood protection to something as mundane as powering lights… the application of seals already shows much potential…

First Genjutsu… now this…

Ninja have truly become complacent to allow such skills to become so supplementary whilst mainly focusing on ninjutsu.

This bears further contemplation…

I'll come back to it.

Now for this room… well… kind of a room…

Its rather large…

I can see scrolls…

A few books…

But mostly swords…

It seems Uchiha Fugaku was a bit of a collector… oh well... time to get to work…

..

Rubbish…

Rubbish…

Rubbish...

Rubbish...

_Katon: Ryuka no jutsu_….

...

...

...

Yes please…

A few scrolls on kenjutsu forms…

I'll take that…

Can't take any of the swords though… too obvious…

_Katon: Hosenka no jutsu_…

I suppose it has its uses…

Another Katon jutsu… but one I've never seen before… _Katon: kaensenpuu_…

Flame whirlwind huh… it seems Fugaku was a bit of a jutsu maker as well… it looks pretty impressive…

What's next…. _Katon kaenhoushaki…. _Flamethrower… looks powerful, but its incomplete…

Don't work Fugaku…I'll carry on your work…

Might even use it to kill your son…

Damn…

its great being me…

..hmmm

What else is there?...

A few history books…. A ninja tale it looks like…

Quite a few books on samurai… it seems Fugaku liked them…

I briefly remember my encounter with those powerful samurai and decide to take those books… they might prove to hold the information i'm looking for.

There's quite a bit of philosophy and stuff in here as well… who'd have thought…

Uchiha Fugaku…the philosopher…

…

……….

……

………

…

….

……..

…

…

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAAHA!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Oh god…that's rich…

Fugaku…

Hehehehe…

Damn… I gotta stop thinking about this shit before I wake Sasuke-chan.

\-\-\

Oh… what do we have here….

Sage of the six paths huh… creator in ninjutsu…

Sounds interesting…

Hmm… this guy's got some interesting shit…

'Ninja Jūhakkei'…… 18 disciplines huh…

Interesting…

Book looks positively ancient too…

_Origins of the Shinobi…_

I flip through it idly… I can already tell it'll make for an interesting read.

Who knew that old stuck up fool was a scholar… who could have guessed the depth of his knowledge…

Dammit…

I wonder if Itachi was ever in here…

No point thinking about that now…

I've come to the conclusion that this place is a fuckin goldmine…

I'll have to return another day though; I'll soon lose the cover of darkness…

I make a hasty retreat and the wall seals itself back up after me…

How convenient…

I need to be extra careful skulking about… its pretty early in the morning and in this darkness I might be mistaken for an enemy.

I make it back to my place in one piece thankfully…

Now I find myself with a problem…

I can't sleep…

Fuck…

Insomnia had to act up tonight of all nights…

I can feel my body demanding rest but my mind wouldn't obey…

I crack open a book, hopefully I'll fall asleep while reading…

'18 disciplines of the ninja huh…'

Interesting….

\-\-\

**A/N: Thanks for the support… I'll try to update more frequently. I'm trying to think of ideas to fit with the story… my next update will be in the next 3 days hopefully if I can find the time… **


	5. Chapter 5

My Idol

**My Idol**

Chapter 5

''I'm in position sensei…''….

''Get ready….''

''Tenten…''

"I see them sensei…"

"Alright then…take em down"

….

It only takes seconds…

As soon as Tenten takes out the leaders from a distance, it's only for myself and the green beasts to clean up the fodder.

It's almost like a dance as I weave through what may as well have been training dummies… The green beasts singing youthful songs of inspiration... the chorus comprising simply of …'yosh!'…

It's beautiful.

Bandits huh….

Whatever.

Any who… it seems this act has come to a close…. Another successfully completed C ranked mission.

We're awesome.

\-\-\

The days have been going by lazily…

I really wish we'd been allowed to enter the Chuunin exams; at least we'd be having better missions right now.

I return my attention to the latest scroll I've been working on. The completion of _kaenhoushaki… _the flamethrower. It's been taking up a lot of my time lately… Unfortunately for me I don't yet have enough chakra control for the flame whirlwind so this is what I've got to work with at the moment.

The stuff I thought to be invaluable turned out to be mostly garbage… The writing on the samurai; mostly honour codes, tales of glory and other such drivel…

Useless.

Nothing like the samurai I met on that mission to the capital…

They were something else… I'm sure of it…

The writing on the six paths was interesting enough; I've been following the meditation guide.

Apparently one can gain better mastery of their chakra by becoming conscious of it.

It's a bit strange, I can't imagine someone telling a ninja that they're not conscious of their chakra; I mean they use it all the time for fucks sake. They don't just use it though; they shape it, mold it, and become sensitive to it to the point that they can detect it from a distance.

So how does one become conscious of it….

Well according to the text one need to connect to it through meditation, to gain awareness of chakra to the point of not merely detecting it but actually being able to see it and the faint auras people give off.

I have yet to see such benefits…. My control however has increased, but it's nothing I couldn't achieve through other means. I'll hold judgement for now… we'll see in time.

I'll do anything to get stronger.

\-\-\

The night sky is surprisingly clear… There's a gentle breeze as well that makes it particularly perfect for a stroll and contemplation.

Life, though relatively boring, has been oddly productive these past few months. Our team has an impressive record of C ranked missions. We're effective and efficient. We've garnered the respect of quite a few shinobi and were we not 'inexperienced genin' (as if) I have little doubt we'd be receiving a great many B-ranked missions as well.

Oh well.

I've gotten quite strong….

I've become strong enough that I'm unsure of just where I stand at the moment. I know that I'm stronger than most Chuunin though. My training regiment is especially brutal. In some ways equal to Lee's. Except I train in chakra techniques as well as physical, but it all adds up in my opinion.

I need a challenge…

The new batch of rookies have graduated and the Chuunin exam is in a few months. I'm trying to think of ways to keep myself occupied until then but I can't seem to come up with anything.

I grow weary of working on the flamethrower and after today's session I think I have just about enough control to manage the whirlwind. Every other technique I have on scroll I've already learned. Some of them quite obscure as well.

I suppose the one I'm most proud of learning thus far would be shushin. I dunno why it's not taught at the academy; to me it's a quintessential skill for a ninja. Running through the streets is just soooo civilian.

I'm thinking of making it better though. As it is its not very useful for battle, just transportation over short distances. Improving the range, chakra efficiency and adaptability are just some of the things I hope to do with it but I'm not entirely sure how I'm gonna do that yet.

Hmmm…

I actually find myself whistling now…

My dark impulses have been somewhat tempered over the course of the past few months.

Constantly being in the presence of the likes of Maito Gai and Rock Lee can do that to a person…

I hate it…

I won't deny actually liking those two idiots…

Well as much as **I **can like someone anyways…

I'll even admit that they've accelerated my training immensely. I've come a long way under Gai's tutelage.

I can't help but feel like I'm losing my edge though…

Hmmph…

It's not even worth thinking about….

Back to whistling….

….

…..

…….

………

Or maybe not…

It seems my peaceful night is over…

There's some kind of chase going on apparently…

Noisy ass ninjas…

It takes something special to ruin a night like this.

I'm not even going to bother with this one…

I'm just gonna keep whistling…

That's right…

Whistling….

They're looking a bit desperate….

But it's none of my business….

Although…

The last time the place was swarming with ninja like this was when mister super ninja Itachi massac…………………

Ok that gives me pause…

Curse my insatiable curiosity.

\-\-\

Ok so the gist of it is that some fool ran off with a scroll…

Ok maybe it wasn't just a scroll…

Maybe it was the Konoha's forbidden scroll….

It begs the question… what the fuck is Konoha's forbidden scroll?

I could ask a senior ninja…. But a lot of people just aren't willing to share that kind of information with me…

Bastards…

Fuck it…

Whatever it is… it's forbidden…

That's more than enough for it to hold my interest….

\-\-\

The trees are a mere blur as I race through them… May as well have been flying.

I've come to the realisation that I've gotten considerably faster… without even realising it.

It's been a while since I've taken my weights off.

So I suppose it's hardly surprising that my light jog turns out to be something resembling more of a full sprint.

Meh…

Back to the matter at hand.

That juicy scroll…

Now I suppose it comes down largely to chance…

I could run out here all night and turn up with nothing.

The chance of me finding whoever took this scroll before Hunter-nin, tracker squads and the ANBU is just marginally above zero…

I figure its worth it…

Who knows….hopefully they haven't searched this part of the forest yet.

I just hope the thief's a good one and didn't go for the oh so predictable 'run away from Konoha in a straight line to my destination' tactic… If he does that I'm shit outta luck.

Any smart thief would understand the risk and lay low with the scroll in Konoha until ANBU calm the fuck down…

Well that's unless they're some fuckin awesome S-ranked shinobi….

Fuck…

What if it's an S-ranked criminal…?

Fuck it… we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

I'll be damned if I don't at least **try** to get that scroll.

\-\-\

It seems lady luck's on my side tonight….

Well…. Just my side….

The kid looked pretty promising too…

Poor sob…

Looks like he was trying to learn something from the scroll…

Idiot…

There aren't many genin with the chakra capacity to learn C-ranked and above ninjutsu… that's why the academy tests bunshin, kawarimi and henge. I was an exception…

Come to think of it… I got a ridiculously large amount of chakra…

Not that I'm complaining…

Anyways…

I'll take that… thank you very much.

It's pretty funny…. Worrying about S-ranked criminals on the way over here only to meet a kid fresh outta the academy.

This night can't get any better…

Now to copy a few techniques….

I'm not dumb enough to hold onto a scroll like this one…

They've tried to have me executed for using too much electricity once, I'm not too confident about my chances in the face of such stupidity… especially since this is the forbidden scroll and its theft is probably **actually **punishable by death.

Hmmm…

Kage bunshin huh…

I like….

Seems pretty simple too… I've definitely got the chakra to do it without ending up like this idiot lying in front of me. Fool's barely alive…

Hmmm…

Bakuretsu kage bunshin no jutsu….

Who the fuck comes up with these things….

They're genius…

Katon: Karyuu endan

Well that's not really surprising…

Shushin…. Didn't think that'd merit being on the scroll…

I'm feeling a bit cheated here….

Shiki-Fuujin…. A seal huh…

Well I am interested in seals…

It looks so complex though….

And oddly familiar….

Not my cup of tea though I'm afraid… no matter how kick ass summoning the death god sounds… Self sacrifice just isn't my thing…

Hakke fuujin….

Looks complicated….

And again… somewhat familiar…

I know I've seen these markings somewhere before…

Fuck it…

So it supposed to… draw small amounts of chakra from the contained ….demon?

…

….

….

…

What the FUCK!

Contained demons and shit….

The guy who wrote this shit was pretty fucked up.

Moving on…

…

..

Four elements….

…

Blah blah blah….

…

This is getting mildly creepy…

The finished product…

And I know I've seen this fuckin seal somewhere before…

But that's just not possible ….right?

Cuz….

..

…

..

Cuz everyone knows there was no demon that... that came to Konoha giving the need for such a seal…right?

That's right…. The Kyuubi was just a myth….

And in that myth….

It was killed….

On my birthday….

And everyone also knows that the lovely people of Konoha have never called me a demon…

Or fox….

And I don't have six foxy whiskers…

I'm fucked…

Fuck… fuck… fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck…..

..

..

Someone's coming….

I can't deal with this shit right now…

I take what I've got and I drop the scroll.

I need to clear my head…

Speeding through the trees…

Feeling strangely in element…

Maybe cause I'm a fox….

Fuck…

I'm the Kyuubi…

No…

Wait… the seal contains the beasts… Shiki Fuujin…

And the Hakke fuujin siphons chakra…

But in the stories at the academy it tells of the Kyuubi's chakra being vile, red and plainly visible…

Soooo…. Maybe it's purified before its siphoned…

So that explains my ridiculously large chakra capacity…

So I'm the container of the Kyuubi…

And the old man knew…

They all knew….

….

..

They all fucking know…

I can't even find it in myself to shout… no… it can't express my…displeasure…

I feel a rage the likes of which I haven't felt…ever…

Just leaving this village behind won't be enough…

Not anymore…

Showing my worth… not enough….

But I'm still gonna show these fools…

…

…

……..

Sooooo….

……….

….

…….

..

The Kyuubi huh…. Strongest of the tailed beasts…

It also explains why I heal the way I do…

..

..

…

It is…fortunate… that life has made me the opportunistic little bastard I am today…

I lied before…

…

I lied when I said this day couldn't get any better…

Because it did…

It's gotten so much better….

I've fiinally learned the truth… and it gives me a strange sense of peace... the truth I've been searching for most of my life… and I'm not disappointed…

…

..

So I protect these fools daily… my very existence protects them from the Kyuubi… and they shun me… to that end, I feel nothing… I'm too drained to hate them any more than I already do…

Hmmm…

Making a deal with the Kyuubi comes to mind…

But I've read enough bedtime stories to know what happens to those who make deals with demons…

Besides… I don't need it…

The Kyuubi unconsciously gives me enough of an edge already…

And its enough…

I won't have this pitiful village beneath my feet only for these fools to say it's only due to the Kyuubi's power…

It seems I need to find a way to rid myself of the Kyuubi as soon as it's outlived its usefulness.

I'll keep my edge for now though…

What the fuck…Everyone else has some kind of bloodline… Itachi and his sharingan… those stuck up Hyuuga pricks…

I won't be like them though..

I needed something to do after beating Itachi anyway…

But I'm getting ahead of myself… It'll still be a few years before I'm ready…

When I face Itachi it won't be a battle of equals… that will never satisfy me... he **will **be outclassed. Anything less is unacceptable…

Besides… how am I supposed to fulfil my secondary goal if my power can't not only outclass, but completely dwarf Itachi's?

Indeed.

\-\-\

I'm nearly to my house…

They're converging on the tower…

One of them has the scroll…

Sharp eyesight seems to be one of those perks as well…. Its surprising what you take for granted at times… though I suppose its understandable… how the fuck could one know they've got enhanced eyesight if they don't know what stuff looks like through the eyes of others…

For all I know all my senses could be enhanced… fuck I could have a better nose than the Inuzukas and I wouldn't know…

Looks like they caught the culprit…

Well… there's two of them… not surprised really…. Kid couldn't have done it himself…

Poor bastard…

Hmmph…

Its time to get back to training…

Now that I know where my healing and ridiculous amount of chakra come from I'm positive I can break whatever I thought to be natural limits…

There's nothing natural about my situation…

Fuckin Yondaime…

I suppose if he wasn't such a demon implanting, child abusing cunt he'd be a pretty sick shinobi… to come up with this shit…

Guy's a fucking genius…

The prick…

Anyways… I spose I should thank him in a way.

I coulda ended up one of those spoilt clueless pricks at the academy…

For fuck's sake if I didn't grow up the way I did I coulda been…

…average….

It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

But thanks bastard.

Hmm…

I wonder if I even have to allow my muscles Gai-sensei's recommended rest time…

Probably not…

I need to up my weights a bit… not much though… bulk is bad…

I'm built for speed.

The Yondaime was pretty fast…

The bastard…

..

…

..

I'm home…

Better rest up…

Tomorrow's gonna be special…

Due to my circumstances…

I'm no longer sure if there's even an upper limit to my capacity…

I shudder in pleasure briefly…

I'll never stop till I find out…

I'm coming Itachi…

It won't be long now…

Passing you seems almost trivial now my rival…

Once I'm through with you I'll take the ultimate test.

…

…

Becoming strong enough to kill the Kyuubi.

**A/N: Thanks uzumaki barrage... i spose you're right about not rushing the chapters..chapter 4 was quite a bit rushed through. This one as well... Just a little XD.**

**i'll be sure to take much more care with the others from here on though. Its kinda hard to come up with ideas though... i really liked the idea of itachi as an idol for naruto but i think i need some direction.**


	6. Chapter 6

My Idol

**  
My Idol**

Chapter 6

'997...998.…999.…1000.…1001.…1002...'

Keep it going….

I can't stop now…. Repetition…repetition…. Gai-sensei's stressed long enough the benefits of making simple movements second nature.

Training's progressing even better than I thought it would…

My teammates have grown as well but I know even though they're aware I'm holding back… they have no idea how strong I am.

I've come a long way since the night I've learned the truth...

It's something to be immensely proud about I think.

It seems the gods have smiled on me once again… I'm even more convinced of the path that lays before me now.

Not even a full month after I learn of the Kyuubi and my fate as a human container and I suddenly have much more training time on my hands.

I'm a bit disappointed about our missions being cut short but it's understandable I suppose.

Can't really blame the old man though.

Apparently one of the genin teams, a team from my graduating class no less was killed along with their jounin sensei on a C-ranked mission gone awry.

We're ninja though….

These things happen.

Anyways…. They're on a standard body guard mission to wave country and missing nin turn up…

Lucky bastards….

…

….

Must have at least been A-rank… either that or it was more than one nuke nin…

It's the only way I see the team **and **the jounin sensei getting creamed…

But I digress…. Since then the number of C-ranked missions assigned to genin have been reduced…

It's eating into my finances… but I'll manage.

I'll get my chance… the Chuunin exam is coming up soon anyways.

I'm confident in us being nominated… I mean it's practically guaranteed. Gai-sensei more or less said we'd attend the one in Konoha when I asked about the last Chuunin exam.

'1067.…1068.…1069.…'

It won't do to just be another genin...

I need to keep pushing myself.

The Kyuubi's healing chakra's been pushed to the limits over the past few weeks…

It'll be worth it in the end.

I'm nearly ready… I know it.

\-\-\

I've been reading up on all I can about the Chuunin exams…

I've even got some advice…. Well… I eavesdropped…

Sue me.

Anyways…

The facts all point towards not only being strong but showing effective analytical and leadership skills…

I don't know how I'm gonna do it but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Straight out fights should definitely hold a lot of weight though. They're public after all.

If you can put on a show…

Showcase Konoha's strength and 'burn with the will of flame' or some other such drivel… I'm sure it'll make my chances as good as any…

Well… cept that there're no guarantees when you're Uzumaki Naruto, the village pariah.

I'm not worried about showing too much, making them fear my potential….

They should…

I'm not gonna hide…

I **want **to be seen…

If they don't respond appropriately… I'll leave sooner than I planned…

Konoha doesn't have very much to offer me anymore anyways…

The Sandaime is an aged man… the Godaime might be some council stooge an then I'll really be fucked…

Its best to keep it simple sometimes… no drawn out, convoluted schemes, no living like a dog taking abuse in silence and **NO **premature death at the hands of some disgruntled assassin…

Leaving looks better every time I think on it.

\-\-\

"**Katon: KaenSenpuu!"**

The target's quickly engulfed in a whirlwind of yellow and orange… I need forcibly still my hands to stop my nervous quivering…

The results are impressive…

I expected charred wood… well… I got it… but the pieces left behind are considerably smaller than I expected.

It seems the whirling movement causes the technique to rip and burn at the same time.

.

.

It's beautiful…

If that was a human body…

….

…

…

..

Lets try this again..

"**Katon:KaenSenpuu!"**

This time I add quite a bit more chakra…

Its bigger…

Its flashier...

Its completely outta control...

'sigh'

I guess that rules out 'giant flaming whirlwind of death no jutsu'…..

.

.

.

.

Dammit.

\-\-\

_  
Four weeks & 2 days to exam_

My control's through the roof since I've taken to meditating on water…

The combination chakra control exercises have been more successful than any others single or combination so far…

I've yet to see the chakra radiated by other ninjas as described in the guide... but my chakra control and especially my awareness has increased tremendously.

I can perform both kaensenpuu and kaenhoushaki almost flawlessly now. Ryūka and Hosenka no jutsu… child's play...

I've picked up two new wind techniques as well… It was as easy as I remember it being…

But fire's coming in a close second.

To think I have such a strong affinity to two elements…

Two elements which when combined in a controlled manner…

.

.

.

.

'Giant flaming whirlwind of death no jutsu'……

\-\-\

_  
Four weeks to exam_

Now this is more like it….

I'm finally getting to cut loose…

Lee's good…

No great…

But if I use ninjutsu or Genjutsu against him… it'll be over reaaal quick…

Finding someone to test myself on used to be a problem…

Used to be…

…

..

..

Kage bunshin no jutsu is awesome…

I duck under a sloppy kunai slash only to receive a kick to face that sends me sprawling backwards...

I deserve it…

I'm fighting myself after all…

I'm never sloppy… I should know.

After a quick back handspring then falling neatly into a stance… I take a second to appreciate my own genius as I feel the oncoming searing heat behind me that's more than likely a Goukakyuu no jutsu.

I've been burnt to a crisp…

Well…

One of my clones' been burnt to a crisp...

Kawarimi…. So basic… but so useful.

If only these clones could survive more than one hit they'd be perfect.

If one knows how to fight well, has great evasion ability and is considerably faster than his opponent…. It's quite possible to fight an entire battle with a shadow clone.

Despite the being dispelled with one hit thing… the clone's strength speed and chakra actually **is **equal to my own… it's crazy…

Well granted I only have about one fifth of what I'm used to at the moment in terms of chakra… but it's still more than enough…

I need to find a way to regulate this…

It costs a good bit of chakra to form the clone bodies then it distributes the chakra evenly amongst the clones and myself…

Against a chakra seeing doujutsu, that could be priceless, no one would be able to tell a fake from the real thing… but in regular combat, it's just too much chakra to give to a clone you only want to use as a distraction. Ok so you get back some of the chakra when it's dispelled but it's still a bit too much.

That must be what happened to that kid… tried to make solid clones but he didn't have enough chakra… with the pitiful amount I sensed from him, three or four clones would have left him with barely enough chakra to live…

Hmmm...

'If I can fi…WHAT THE FUCK!'

The new slash on my cheek the result of my clones not appreciating being ignored.

I'm the real one dammit… these fucking things are actually trying to kill me.

Oh well…

Woooooooooossssshh…

It's the only sound in the field… a gentle breeze and a light rustle of leaves….

And the only warning clones 1 and 2 get before I disappear from sight only reappear and plunge kunai's into the base of one's skull and heart respectively…

They forgot about the weights….

I didn't…

I disengaged them right after the kawarimi…

I'm about to end clone 3's existence as well when I'm harshly made aware of the feeling of one's last moments… the strange fear/peace combination felt by my clones in the moments of the 'deaths'.

It causes me to stumble quite badly…

It's enough for the two remaining clones to jump away and remove their 'weights'. As the clone's 'weights' impact the ground they disappear in a plume of smoke… for some reason that surprises me..

A split second dodge saves me from a painful kick to the balls…

Let's go…

High speed taijutsu it is…

I block a spin kick from the side only to be met with a drop kick in my back…

These clones think exactly like me… I need to remind myself… I shouldn't be surprised.

The same trick won't work on me twice though…

The first clone comes charging with a flurry of lightning quick kicks with the occasional punch for confusion while its partner tries to flank me on my (almost unnoticeably) weaker left…

It's a pretty good two on one tactic but it's too easy to read… I've also picked out something I should have noticed before. My taijutsu form has too many kicks…

With a small bit of something Gai-sensei calls tai chi, I use the momentum from an axe kick to send clone one tumbling right into his partner…

And they dispel…

I was really starting to get into it as well…

Oh well…

So that's one more thing I have to work on…

Improving my style… the form's flawless but the style has too many holes to fight against anyone who's close to my speed level.

\-\-\

_._

_._

_Three weeks 4 days to exam_

So we're definitely in…

Excellent…

I already knew but it's nice to have confirmation.

The team quickly disperses after some idle chit chat to continue our training…

Good.

I need them for the first parts of the exam after all, it wouldn't do to have any set backs…

Its one of the reasons I've helped Tenten when I could.

Gai-sensei's left to teach Lee some obscure taijutsu technique, though not without mandatory assurances that Tenten and I would not allow our youthful flowers to wither. Tenten's asked for my help with ninjutsu but I'm afraid I just haven't got the time…

I've got a lot of work to do myself…

Besides I haven't even tried that exploding clone technique yet…

\-\-\

_  
Three weeks to exam_

Ok so maybe fighting the exploding shadow clones wasn't such a good idea…

I think I've killed myself…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Fuck…

\-\-\

.

.

.

It's been 20 minutes already and I still can't find my way around this place…

Its like a fucking maze…

I must say; the afterlife is pretty disappointing…

.

.

.

.

It's strange though… I thought I'd feel …..different…

There's no pain…

There's no anger at not being able to match or best my rival…

There's no shame at dying such an embarrassing death…

Ok so maybe there **is **some emotion…

..

..

..

I've fucking **died.**

.

.

At my own hand…

.

.

If Itachi thought I was a fucking loser before i…

…

I…

I dunno what to think anymore…

I feel frustrated… this fucking maze-like corridor is driving me nuts…

.

I feel anger at not being able to make all those assholes fucking pay!

I feel all kinds of shit…

I feel like….

..

..

..

I feel like… I should know why, if I'm dead…. I suddenly feel as if I'm gonna die…

What the FUCK is that?

.

.

There's no way I was so caught up in my self depreciating moment that I missed fucking **that…**

That power…

What is it…?

It's unlike anything I've ever felt before….

Such unbridled hatred…

and bloodlust…

Ok…

Well I suppose there's only one way to find out…

Besides… something tells me the only way I'm getting outta here is through wherever that 'thing' is coming from…

.

.

.

\-\-\

My instincts are positively screaming at me now….

But I'm screaming the fuck back…. What… you think I don't **know** that I might be walking to my death… or that whatever the fuck has that aura is more dangerous than all the most dangerous people I know combined…

Stupid ass danger senses…

I won't be cowed…

I'm just taking my time…

Taking it real slow…

.

.

Slow…

.

.

.

.

.

Ok….

..

..

I should have known…

.

I really am losing my edge…

.

.

.

I've yet to quite reach my destination but the now visible red glow says it all…

.

.

The unbelievable power…

.

The massive bloodlust…

.

I should have guessed…

It seems I'll finally be meeting my prisoner…

.

.

.

I'm not too enthusiastic about that…

.

But I haven't got much of a choice it seems…

..

.

\-\-\

Ok… so Itachi… you're back on top my priority list…

Being in the great beast's presence dispels **any** and **all** notions of surpassing or reaching anywhere near its unfathomable power level…

I'm rarely one to give up…

But this…

This is ridiculous….

There's no end to his power…

I can barely twitch as those giant red contemptuous orbs bore into me….

You know…. That soul-piercing gaze…

Made worse by the fact that he may **actually **be looking at my soul…

Ok… I'll shut up no-

"**I want to eat you…****." **It's like a whisper… the most insidious whisper I've ever heard...

"**Come closer boy…."**

No can do I'm afraid... In case you hadn't noticed my muscles refuse to follow my brain's orders at the moment…

..

..

I hope he can't read my thoughts…

..

.

"**I want to eat you….. but these bars…"**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"**So you've finally paid me a visit… my host…."**

**.**

**.**

That snaps me out of trance a bit…

"I actually have no idea how I got here…. I thought I was dead…"

"**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!... Fool…. You still live… but for as long as I will it…."**

Ok here it comes….

I knew it… I just fucking knew it…

This is exactly why I never considered making a deal with the Kyuubi a viable option…

"**Rip off this seal…. Release me…. And I shall make sure that you will live… You will not survive without my power…"**

"Nice try Kyuubi…. You don't really think I'm gonna fa-"

"**INSOLENT MORTAL!! YOU DARE SPEAK DOWN TO ME!"**

Then…the impossible happens…

The overwhelming bloodlust and murderous intent gets even more overwhelming…

I don't think there's a ninja alive who can paralyze me with fear after this…

I can't move…

Heck I can barely breathe…

But this is a make or break moment…

If I falter here…

If my will isn't strong enough…

I lose everything…

I won't lose…

..

.

.

I won't lose…

I draw upon my once thought 'considerable' power… It's dwarfed many times over by the Kyuubi…. But at least I can stop quivering now… though I'm still not sure if I can move…

It's seems he's taken notice of me…

And if I'm not mistaken… he seems….

..

.

Entertained…

..

..

..

He thinks me a joke…

.

.

And you know what… compared to him… i am a joke...

.

.But I'm not going to back down…

Make or break…

"Don't try to bluff me Kyuubi…"

'_Don't try to bluff me __beast'__ comes to mind…. But I rather not test the extent of the great demon's tolerance_

"I've read all the parts of the seal… I know how it works… If you let me die, you will die as well…"

.

.

.

"**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Truly you are a courageous fool…… You die I die hmmm…. I see. You are interesting mortal…. Perhaps I will lend you some of my chak-"**

"NO!"

I hurry to explain myself as it looks like Kyuubi's lost his patience…

"I mean I can't accept your chakra because it will kill us both…"

"**FOOL!! As if I would offer such a thing if would mean my end mortal! Make no mistake, as soon as I'm free from this wretched seal I WILL feast on your flesh"**

I try to put together a hasty explanation as the potent red chakra around me starts building…

"DON'T BE SO HASTY KYUUBI… IF ANYONE SENSES YOU-"

I'm interrupted by the feeling of being flung through the air by someone of the Legendary Tsunade's strength… its not wholly unpleasant…

I blink rapidly only to find myself lying in the same spot as I fell…. In the training field…

Battered and clothing in tatters… wounds healing regardless of the Kyuubi's ire…

I can't help but breathe a sigh of relief getting out of there…

It was… enlightening…though

.

.

.

The Kyuubi's offer was…tempting… weaker enemies would flee in terror as soon as they so much as felt that chakra aura…

But that wouldn't fit my plans…

It wouldn't be **my **chakra they're fleeing from… only the Kyuubi's…

I can't let anything undermine my own strength… I, of course couldn't express this to the great demon himself… I'm certain the ….response…. would have been less than favourable.

I was about to offer him a viable and also quite true alternative explanation, but it seems I wouldn't get my chance…

If anyone feels the Kyuubi's chakra coming from me…. I have no doubt I'll be considered a threat to village security… I might just be put down…

I need to thread carefully from now on…

I can't afford to completely alienate the Kyuubi this early in the game… plans need changing…

The power of the beast…………… it's unreal…

At least now i know that bargaining with the beast **is** indeed possible.

I could do no more than stand shakily and use every ounce of discipline and willpower to speak without stuttering… It's awe-inspiring…

Kyuubi and Itachi…. I really do pick 'em well…

Things just got a lot more interesting….

Its time to kick it up a notch…

The next three weeks I'll be working on those punches… furthering my already awesome speed…. I know enough jutsu to get by… the numbers don't really matter to me…

My raw power would allow me to plough through even some A-ranked Genjutsu…. As long as I can dispel them I'll be fine. It's too late to try to learn any now anyways…

I suppose I'll refine my chakra control a bit more as well…

It might help with what I plan to do with the rest of my time…

Spiritual pressure…bloodlust…fear triggers… murderous intent…

.

.

They're awesome…

.

.

.

The great beast disabled me… a High-Chuunin level ninja, with only its intent to kill…

.

.I can definitely make something of this…

I just need to figure out the specifics of how these things work…

I feel like I'm taking on too much sometimes… it might be worth it to go back and review some of my earlier unfinished projects…

.

.

.

.

.

Its gonna be an interesting 3 weeks.

.

.

.

Chuunin rank… here I come.

**A/N: Thanks a lot for the support guys… just thought I'd stick this one in here… sort of prelude to the Chuunin exams. They should start next chapter. I know I haven't got a lot of interaction with others in the story but I'll fix that. Besides, Naruto's character is a bit of a loner in this story so he doesn't really feel the need to interact with people more than necessary. Also, the Kage bunshin training method won't be available to him for a while yet. He's figured out the memory bit, but personally I think it to be the sort of thing you'd be momentarily surprised about then you'd hardly take notice of it again for a while. If it was so obvious everyone who could safely create a decent amount of kage bunshin would do so and accelerate their training. Another thing is that the interaction between Naruto and the Kyuubi is different because Naruto's different. I think the same about the wave mission because if Naruto didn't whine for a better mission on that day they wouldn't have gotten it. Furthermore, even if they did get it, after the demon brothers bit, without Naruto's declaration in blood or whatever I doubt they would have continued on.**

**Anyways… thanks a lot guys for reading… I'll try to incorporate your ideas and see what I can come up with. Demonkid… yeah I spose I can see a slight bit of similarity… it's really flattering to be compared to case13… I love 'the art of the deal'. The vocabulary thing…. Well, I'm a pretty simple guy and I like going with what works… if you mean to use bigger, more complicated or less often used words just for the sake of it, I'd rather not. If what you want is more description and detail, I'll do what I can to oblige.**

**YellowDemonFlash its good to see you're still with me, I haven't forgotten to take the samurai idea somewhere but that'll come later. And I think having Itachi show Naruto just why he's his idol has merit. Good time too… If I remember correctly Itachi shows up just after of the Chuunin exam. Thanks for the support**

**Dumblemort out… XD**


	7. Chapter 7

My Idol

**My Idol**

Chapter 7

Lee wants to pretend to be weak while scoping out the competition….

I'm afraid I can't do that…

Don't get me wrong… it's a good idea… but… while I don't mind not showing off and letting myself be underestimated... I'm not going out of my way to appear weak…

I've worked too hard… and come too far…

It's kinda entertaining though…

Watching Tenten beg to be let through whilst Lee, who's probably the best taijutsu user amongst the genin gets kicked around.

Hn…

It's getting pretty boring now though…

Couldn't they put up a better Genjutsu than that for a Chuunin exam…?

Though I suppose it serves its purpose judging by the numerous oblivious idiots who think they're on the third floor… I mean, you can tell some of these guys are faking, like Lee, while the true shinobi, who number about 7 in all are just watching and waiting…

The rest…. Useless… Wh-

Well, well…. What do we have here…?

If it isn't Uchiha Sasuke…. Strolling in like he owns the place…

Don't get me wrong... a good swagger… a confident gait… good traits for a shinobi… but the putrid stench of overbearing arrogance…….. I guess he'll be even less of a problem than I originally thought…

'Hey everyone…. Look at me… take down that stupid Genjutsu… hey sakura you saw it right... its a good thing I was here to save everyone… never mind the fact that I now look like a fool to anyone who's a serious shinobi… all the useless ones are now looking at me like I'm god…'

What a fool…

Now I'll have even more fools to take care of…

What the fuck is Lee doing…?!

A date….

With that pink haired harpy?

Useless…

My own teammates… such a disgrace… At least I can depend on them to do well in a fight… there are some pretty strong contenders here…

I've yet to feel anyone I should be worried about though… it looks like this one's gonna be a cakewalk…

\-\-\

Why the fuck do I have to be stuck with such fools?

I've found myself asking that more than usual these past few days…

Now Lee wants to fight the Uchiha…

Now I understand feeling the need to prove yourself…. Oh I understand all too well…

But for all Gai's rants on defeating his eternal rival and how one fights the sharingan (something I'm very grateful for by the way), has Lee already forgotten that despite the fact that he'll most probably beat this fool he runs the risk of his style being copied…

Now….. I know I should stop this…

But curiosity's gotten the better of me… I can't help but want to see those eyes once more…

The eyes of my rival…

It's been years…

I also want to see just how Uchiha Sasuke's talents compare to his brother's…

…….

……………….

……………………..

Ok….

………….

So maybe there's no comparison…..

…

I expected Lee to be faster than Sasuke…. But this is ridiculous…

An exhibition match….

It's my own fault really for listening to hearsay…

Konoha's standards have really fallen far… they'll call anyone a genius these days…

I should have known the clan ass-licking denizens of Konoha would exaggerate the Uchiha's talent… he's weaker than Neji was when he graduated the academy…

He was top of his class though…

I suppose he must be a ninjutsu specialist then…

Hn… I'll have to keep an eye out…

I need to keep sharp from here on out… I didn't even sense Gai-sensei…

Looks like Lee took things a bit too far…

Fool…

\-\-\

I stumble… its slight… almost unnoticeable… but I stumble nonetheless…

I'm Uzumaki Naruto… future greatest shinobi the world will ever see…. I don't stumble…

But I couldn't help it…

This is bad…

This power… it's not overwhelming, but its potent… It's very well hidden judging by the lack of reaction from most shinobi in the room… but its there… I can tell… I can always tell…

That shinobi… from… Suna is it… yeah Suna… he's powerful… dangerously so…

His chakra's quite strong... no match for my own supply… but that hidden strength… and dangerous aura…

Now this is where most people would ask 'What is he?!'

But I don't…

because I already know…

I've only felt a similar power in the presence of the Kyuubi…

He's a container….. Like me…

…

….

…

It begs the question… how many of us are there? Have all the tailed beasts been sealed...?

They might prove interesting in future… a way to test my strength…

That power though… I can't tell which tailed-beast it is… I would have thought one could estimate based on the Kyuubi… but this power, though incredibly strong… is many….. many times weaker than the Kyuubi…. Far more than nine times… so I guess the tails and power thing isn't quite so linear…

Kyuubi really is a monster…

\-\-\

There's something weird about that grey-haired guy…. He's hiding his power as well… Too well…. He's strong… he's got less chakra than me…. But a fight with him… I dunno… he's nearly as strong as sensei…

Look at those rookie fools….

Hn…

Looks like Shikamaru finally graduated as well…

\-\-\

This is it….

It's begun…. First... the paper test… I'm ready…

They really aren't playing around this year… Ibiki… what the fuck's the head of torture and Interrogation doing here…

Hmm…. This should be good…

Listen to this guy…

He's got half of them pissing themselves already…

I know who he is though, and what he does for a living… his mind games won't be quite so effective on me…

So we've got to cheat… its pretty obvious when you think about it… I can see that some saw what needed to be done even before me… this will certainly be an interesting exam.

\-\-\

Well… it seems I don't need to cheat nearly as much as I thought I would… It's hardly surprising… there's no doubt these questions would be difficult for a genin, but I've prided myself of memorising most things shinobi even whilst attending the academy.

''No 26... Get out!''

Fool…

Some of these people can't really be ninja… They're so bloody obvious…

The Hyuuga for example are doing exactly what's expected of them… using their Byakugan…

The Uchiha's doing the same…

Tenten's use of mirrors and ninja wire though kinda noticeable, is fairly inventive. I suppose that's why we haven't been kicked out yet.

Me… well…

I know most of the answers… its too early to give anything away though… even if we're supposed to cheat I won't risk it… Morino's watching like a hawk and I can do without anyone seeing my techniques till I've got no choice..

\-\-\

I gotta admit… this guy's impressive…

If I didn't know shinobi operating procedure as well as I do I'd have believed him as well…

Genin forever huh… nice one…

It poses a problem though…

The pink haired harpy on the Uchiha's team… she's nervous, indecisive….. and looks like she's about to give up…

I'm sorry love… can't have that now can we… how can I see how far the kid's come if he's thrown out in the paper test…

A quick Genjutsu ensures that she finds her limbs inexplicably bound…

Useless shinobi irk me more than anything…

And its right on time too… the bitch was about to raise her hand…

Sorry pinkie… this may well lead to her death in this exams… its obvious she's woefully unprepared… but fuck it…

Sacrifices have to be made…

\-\-\

Matarashi Anko… interesting character…. She's a bit false though…. The fragility of her mind, her weakness, glaringly obvious to anyone who knows how to look…

It's sad…

I could have been like that… acting out for attention…

Thank god for small mercies…

.

.

.

.

.

It seems there will be death in this exam… well, I suppose there's death in every Chuunin exam… but these genin are getting angsty… I can see some of them have already chosen their targets…

I can see a couple fools glaring at me… who gives a fuck…

The rookies are all looking supremely confident. Any nerves that built up upon hearing of the waiver forms are completely gone. They're naivety makes me momentarily contemplate suicide….

They're like most other ninja in this wretched village…. Well, judging by the vast majority of the foreign ninja, they're like most other ninja….period.

Arrogant fools… deluded…

Scared just a minute ago but self-delusion's caused them to believe that there's no problem… they all believe they're some hot shit… fools..

\-\-\

''We've got an earth scroll….''

''YOSH! NA-''

''Shut up…''

''Lets keep this simple… we can do without you shouting and giving away our location to every ambitious fool in the exam… We get a scroll then we get out… that's it. There's no reason to stay in this forest for 5 days. I'm certain the next part of the exam will be combat so you'll have your chance to fight Lee….''

Two nods signify agreement…good…

''We'll keep moving towards the tower for now…. Anyone we encounter on the way we'll deal with and get the scroll… If we can reach the tower early we'll have time to rest and be in top form for the next portion of the exam''…

With twin whispers of ''Hai...'' we're off….

\-\-\

I'm really fortunate to have teammates like Tenten and Lee when I think about it…

They're both good shinobi, neither overconfident nor foolish…. Though Lee's a bit much at times…

Best of all… they recognise me as a leader and follow my orders…

It would be endlessly troublesome having to plead with or threaten fools while on a mission… not to mention it would get us killed…

Hn…. Time is of the essence… the sooner we finish this the sooner I can become Chuunin…

\-\-\

I'm pretty bored…

We've been running through the trees for hours and just when we thought thing would get interesting we meet this…

This trash…

Even Lee seems disappointed….

They've yet to realise they've become the hunted… and are in fact chasing three clones…

Academy clones no less…

What do they teach ninja in Kumo?

The clones come to a sudden halt and fire a barrage of illusionary shuriken…

The enemy disperses…. As expected… right into our waiting arms…

The first one quickly finds himself wrapped in ninja wire courtesy of Tenten…

The second becomes a victim of Lee's enthusiasm and receives a punch that sends him sprawling before crashing in a tree…..unconscious…

The third is the luckiest of the bunch… he's unconscious before he knows it…a slight bump on his head the only evidence of an attack…

It's too bad they have an earth scroll as well…

''**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu''**

Lee and Tenten are just staring at me in silent question….

''The less scrolls available the less competition we'll have to deal with…''

….

….

..

''Erm… couldn't we have just **kept **the scroll… as a back up or something… either way its out of enemy hands…''

.

.

.

.

.

.

I can do nothing but scratch the back of my head embarrassedly ….

Shit…

Why didn't I think of that….

\-\-\

We've decided to set up camp…

With Tenten laying traps we shouldn't have much to worry about but I send a few clones out to patrol just in case…

\-\-\

Clone 1

I've been scoping out the competition while the other clones guard the area around the camp…

We've got some pretty impressive contenders…

Massive bloodlust drew me to none other than the Suna shinobi…. The container…

He seemed to be in a confrontation with some rain nin… some especially confident shinobi… the fools… even one who doesn't know what youkai feels like could still feel the bloodlust coming from the sand shinobi…. His regular chakra reserves without the demon are easily jounin as well…

Suffice to say the rain nin, though displaying some impressive techniques, met a quick and quite bloody end….

It wasn't a complete waste though… it gave me a chance to observe the sand shinobi's fighting style…

Fair enough I haven't seen all of it but I've seen enough to get the general idea… that gourd he carries is filled with sand that he uses for his techniques… not only that, his posture when fighting indicates that the sand does all the fighting for him…. His absolute conviction that he couldn't be hurt wasn't just that of an arrogant or strong shinobi… its almost as though he's never been hurt before… which would mean his sand defence is as I feared... autonomous….

It protects him no matter what… the only techniques that he control I suppose would be the finishing ones like that desert coffin or when he consciously controls the sand to attack enemies….

No matter…there are undoubtedly stronger shinobi than this one around… sensei… quite a few of the jounin and ANBU and of course the Hokage… if I can't beat a shinobi like this one I might as well give up my quest now…

That's out of the question…

Everyone has a weakness… I'll find a way to defeat this Sand shinobi should it come to it…

After all

He's much weaker than my rival…

\-\-\

Clone 1

I think I've done enough sightseeing… just as I'm ready to dispel myself I feel it…

Something that makes me weak in the knees…

Something that makes me wonder how I could have missed this before…

This shinobi… what power…

What control he must have to hide such a power even from me…

I can sense that this is only a taste of what's to come… this shinobi has even more chakra than Itachi…

Though it doesn't mean he is more powerful… or even more dangerous… power is useless in the hands of an inept wielder after all…

Still…

I must find out who he is… this information may prove useful in future…

With that… my presence is gone from the clearing leaving behind only smoke…

No… I didn't dispel myself…

Shushin…

It pays to be a clone of Uzumaki Naruto…

I still have more chakra than most of the genin in this exam… as do all my brothers..

\-\-\

The scene I'm spying now is hardly what I expected to find…

The shinobi I've been thinking about appears to be a Kusa nin. This close he's even more terrifying… I can tell he's stronger than me… It pisses me off…

I was too confident…

Too sure of my own superiority…

I know rank means nothing in terms of power… and I know that there are shinobi in the world stronger than me…

I've always known these things…

But a genin… some Kusa genin…

It fucking pisses me off…

He's pummelling Itachi's little brother… not that that says much... I could do the same… none of his movements are invisible to me…  
none of his attacks outside of my current ability…

I know this…

but he's holding back… considerably…

I know that as well…

\-\-\

It's been five minutes since I've been watching this farce of a fight…

The Uchiha seems to have grown a backbone… he's stepped up his game…

It may look like he's winning to him and his foolish teammates… but to me…

The outcome's as clear as day… he's being toyed with… and he should have noticed this ages ago… fool…

His arrogance knows no bounds it seems…

I raise an eyebrow at a particularly skilful display with shuriken and ninja wire that I know I'd be hard pressed to replicate… it seems there's more to the boy than I thought… still it changes nothing in this fight..

Not even the follow-up Ryuka no jutsu could convince me otherwise…

The fool lets his guard down only to have to dodge a snake… a very very large snake…

In fact the only snakes that large are summon snakes… the nin standing on its head confirms it…

Soooo….. Either Konoha's famed snake sannin Orochimaru gave this Kusa nin his contract to sign…highly unlikely…

Or….

The Snake charmer of Konoha has returned…

It drastically improves my mood…

I mean… this isn't good news… but… cmon…

you understand right…  
who wants to go through life having their faith in their abilities crush by an abnormally strong **Kusa genin. **

An abnormally strong sannin though…

Fuck it…

I can live with that…

I already knew that S-class ninja were above me…

.

.

.  
Now that's just freaky… Orochimaru just fuckin **bit **the kid….

Now he's got a strange tattoo... cuz of who gave it to him though i'm guessing its a seal of some sort…

He's probably gonna die...

Sorry kid… I'm not getting my ass kicked no matter how much I want to fight you myself…

He tells the pink banshee that Sasuke will come to him for power…

I don't doubt it…

He's just shown the kid a whole other level of ninja fighting I doubt he's ever seen before…

So that's his game huh…

I wonder what he plans to do with the kid… probably wants to get a sharingan like that jounin kakashi… The bingo book states his ambition is to learn every jutsu in existence… it makes sense…

What a guy…

Time to send this information home….

In a poof… I'm gone…

For good…

\-\-\

What the FUCK?!

That's my first thoughts as I receive the memories from my clone…

The Chuunin exam's turning out to be more exciting than I thought….

S-ranked missing nin…

So cool….

The guy practically walked right back into his old village fooling EVERYONE with some Kusa nin disguise, put a seal of some sort on Konoha's last Uchiha and there's not one fucking thing anyone can do about it…

Dammit…

I wonder if they have a club… where the rest of them… Orochimaru and Itachi and their S-rank buddies all have a laugh at us weaklings….

This only makes me want it more…

S-rank….

Then… I'll surpass them all and they'll make a new rank for me…Uzumaki Naruto SS-rank shinobi…

The Great Demon Naruto…

\-\-\

We've found our scroll…. Finally…. Poor cloud ninja… they seem to be having bad luck today…

What's the chances of that… another cloud team fucked over for their scroll…

Oh well…

Survival of the fittest teme…

\-\-\

It doesn't take long before we're at the tower… finally…. This portion of the exam is over and done with…

There's no one there but we quickly figure out we're supposed to open the scrolls…

''Congratulations on passing the second exam…''

Umino Iruka…

He looks a bit taken aback that we're not all surprised… I've been working with seals for a while now teme… of course I'd recognise the summoning seals…

We're lead to the waiting area… Umino doesn't seem to be too happy with this job… too bad… useless asshole…

There's no reason he should still be a Chuunin… he's had enough time… its his own fault for being weak… bastard's never liked me…

Too bad…

I've never cared…

There's only one other team here… that sand team…

Looks like we did good…

That's probably what's irking that prick Iruka…

I might share his rank soon…

A little kid you were teaching just months ago surpassing you already…

It must hurt…

I'm glad…

\-\-\

That sand team's really pissing me off… Looking all too sure of themselves…

They're not even that strong…

The girl's ok but the make-up fag doesn't really have much chakra… or strength…

They're both too confident in the redhead... it'll be their undoing… i'll never have to depend so heavily on the strength of another... i'll lean on my own power..

I've been thinking of his sand defence and his attack patterns… I'm confident I can beat him… if what I think I know of that sand is right I'm confident Lee can beat him as well…

Great… now they're coming over here…

Probably gonna try to intimidate the weak little genin… fools…

\-\-\

The redhead's practically oozing bloodlust…

The sand kunoichi and the ….puppet user it looks like… seem a bit surprised we aren't shaking in our boots…

Fools…

Before this exam's over I'll be putting them in their place… fuckin with my clique…

''You… what is your name...'' the redhead seems to be addressing me… I consider ignoring him but then again I'm curious to know who he is as well…

''Uzumaki Naruto…. Who are you?''

''Sabaku no Gaara… mother wants your blood Uzumaki Naruto… I will kill you….''

I gotta give the guy points for delivery… the guy's got the monotone down pat… there's no feeling in their… nothing to express the lingering insanity… not many people can pull it off that well…

''Yeah well I'm not too concerned about that….''

My teammates aren't surprised by my response but the sand nins are… the kunoichi's giving me this look now… like I'm some arrogant fool who'll soon get his just desserts…

''I mean…. If a demon can convince you that it's your mother….'' At this both sand nins gasp…

''then you must not be much of a shinobi….''

With that I turn and leave… two confused teammates following behind me….

I can see the sand nins across the rooms giving me weary looks…. They're scared now… they didn't expect anyone to know…

Gaara's holding his head and talking to himself…

What a fool….

Mother…

Honestly…

It scares me…. That's what I could have been… I could have been like that… I was lonely… but I didn't know of the Kyuubi… and if I did know… when I was still naïve… before meeting my rival… I could have ended up like Gaara…

A fuckin lunatic…

Believing a demon to be my mother…

Once again… thank god for small mercies…

Don't worry my brother…

I'll free you from your pain…

Perhaps the shinigami's embrace will be kinder to you than the demon's…..

\-\-\

My teammates are curious….

And fidgety…

They've got questions that they're scared to ask…. Normally this would be a good thing… but I might have just stirred a hornet's nest… they deserve at least some information in case they end up having to fight…

''Listen...''

They both start at the sound of my voice…

''There are things you need to know about that team from Suna….''

''I was gonna ask what that was about…. Mother… demon… what the fuck is going on Naruto...''

It comes out in a harsh whisper… Tenten's always been a bit feisty… I'm surprised to see Lee completely silent…

''Listen, some things I'll tell you after the exam… for now I'll just tell you what you need to know…''

Neither Tenten nor Lee look to pleased at this but they'll just have to deal with it… I'm not known for my patience…

''That guy…. Gaara… when my clones were out scouting earlier…''

And so I told them about what I'd observed so far…. About Gaara's seemingly absolute defence… about my thoughts on bypassing it… About my suspicions about the other guy being a puppet user and that I know for a fact that the girl is a wind user as she carries a fan used only by wind users….

''That girl would probably be the worst possible match up for you Tenten, her wind techniques would send all your projectiles off course and render most of your arsenal useless…. If you had to fight her I'd suggest getting in close… with a sword maybe and fighting her in taijutsu not giving her a chance… she doesn't look to be very strong in taijutsu and is probably dependent on that fan… you need to take her out quick… even though you aren't as good as myself or Lee with taijutsu you're still better than a lot of genin, Maito Gai is our sensei after all''

I say all this with a smile to soften the blow but it seems it wasn't needed… Seems she's grown up a bit now and can take critique in stride… she knows her main arsenal would be useless against such an opponent… last time she nearly killed me…hmph…

''The same goes for the redhead…. Gaara… with his sand the way it is your arsenal would be useless…. That's why if you have to fight him I think you should forfeit….''

Now she looks indignant but I'm about to cut that short…''Listen Tenten… this guy… so far I've only seen one way to beat him and that's extreme speed to get past the sand and take him out quick…. Lee's fast enough to do it but you know speeds not really your strong point Tenten…''

She looks like she's about to object and I finally lose what little patience I had left

''FINE! Do as you will…. You're invincible Tenten…. Have I ever told you not to get involved before… we've been on missions where we've fought fairly strong enemies and I've never felt the need to interfere… this guy isn't like the rest… a mistake against him means death.. He's bloodthirsty…. He doesn't need a reason to kill you… but I'm sorry for telling you what to do…. If you fight him… do whatever the fuck you want and die….''

Ok so maybe I was a little harsh…

Listen to me… I've been getting more and more attached to this team as time's gone by… maybe its best I become Chuunin so I can move on without these foolish attachments… my rival has no attachments after all… he killed all of his…

Orochimaru didn't really seem like the type of guy to have attachments….

Fuck this..

''That was very unyouthful Naruto-kun…'' I turn towards Lee… he actually looks pretty pissed… a rare sight… good on you Lee…

''There's no need to make Tenten-chan cry Naruto-kun…''

Ok… that certainly grabs my attention…. She's crying…

Awww fuck…

I hope I'm not gonna have to explain this to Gai-sensei…

She hastily wipes her tears as she sees me looking… and it looks like more people are coming into the tower as well…

''Look Tenten, I'm sorry…. I was just worried about you that's all….''

She gives me this really pretty smile..

..

..

Really pretty smile…

Where the fuck did that come from…

I really need to get the fuck outta here…

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

Preliminary rounds….

Well… that's unexpected…

It makes sense though…

Apparently they've got too many contestants… they can't allow the low class to be paraded in front of the kages and other nobility at the main event…

That's good… that'll give me some time to add some polish to the skills I've left out… When the finals come they'll get a show alright…

''Why do we have to put our life on the line for something like that!!''

Hn… fool

Looks like an Inuzuka… brash just like the rest of his clan…

This one seems particularly stupid though, even for a mutt…

Before the guy even lets the Hokage finish his explanation he's interrupting… These rookies… they're amazing…

Hayate's the proctor… that's a surprise…. Guy's got fucking aids or something… how the fuck could one be a shinobi with that cough… proper breathing is essential for a shinobi… it makes movements easier and conserves energy…

Not to mention a perpetual cough like that is sure to give away a ninja's position to even a genin enemy…

Hn… oh well…

\-\-\

So the rules are in… looks like only 9 of us will be going to the finals…

Fine by me…

The rookies all made it… what a surprise… and that fucking spy Kabuto dropped out… I'm confident he's a spy… I knew something was off with that guy when I sensed his strength, like now when he's claiming to be out and his reserves are still nearly full… Orochimaru appearance was the last piece of the puzzle… In the beginning when he approached the rookies he was paying particular attention to the Uchiha…. It isn't much by way of proof but for me its confirmation….

Looks like it's about to begin… and Sasuke-chan's first….

He's fighting some bastard name yoroi….

This fight's probably the lamest thing I've seen in ages… What the fuck is Sasuke doing… what happened to all those flashy ninjutsu techniques and those pretty red eyes… he was looking pretty good against even an underpowered Orochimaru he should be creaming this bastard….

This guy's technique is pretty obvious... its sapping his chakra…

I can tell Uchiha Sasuke's reserves aren't full but he should have enough chakra to roast this fool with at least a grand fireball…

He's losing….

Badly…

His sensei looks like just another day in the park though… he doesn't seem to be too worried at all… he must know why Itachi's brother isn't using anything besides taijutsu…

The pink haired banshee decides to make her presence known by shouting obscenities at Yoroi and cheering on her imagined boyfriend…. It's disgraceful…

Could the legendary copy-ninja Kakashi really be their sensei… and if he is….

What the fuck has he been doing these past few months…?

It seems he's a superior taijutsu fighter though as Yoroi's finally being overwhelmed… The Uchiha not using ninjutsu has something to do with that seal Orochimaru gave him earlier it seems… It looks like it was causing him pain but he forced it back down…

Interesting…

Those fucking eyes… that's Lee's move… the shadow of the dancing leaf… the guy copied it flawlessly from what I can see… the only difference between his and Lee's because of a difference in body conditioning…

That next guy Yoroi's even worse as a ninja…. He looks like he must be late twenties… the guy's still a genin and a weak one at that… a one trick pony…

Game over…

The copy nin takes his prized student away like some kind of trophy… I almost feel sorry for pinkie and their other teammate…. Almost…

\-\-\

These other matches are pretty boring…

I can't get over those fucking eyes….

That guy… he fucking copied lee's move perfectly…

I've always known the abilities of the sharingan but seeing them in action is something different…

This is what I'll be fighting against in future…

Fuck me… I'll need to get back to training…..

Speed…. The key lies in speed…. And techniques impossible to duplicate… I'll have to get more of both…

Fucking Uchiha…

Fucking Itachi….

\-\-\

Looks like Tenten's up….

And she's going against Sabaku no Temari…

Hmm… So she's Gaara's sister… interesting…

The guy's got family and still turned out like that…

Fucking useless….

It's a good thing I gave those tips to Tenten…

..

…

…

..

Even though she's fucking ignoring them and still throwing kunai like an idiot….

She looks up at me and I just stare back impassively…

What the fuck did she expect... an 'I told you so'…

She should have just gotten in range and been done with it… its now exponentially harder…

\-\-\

Whoa…

So maybe I underestimated her speed a bit….

She's got nothing on Lee or me…

But Tenten's pretty impressive…

She's in the sand bitch's face before she could even raise the fan and a backhand sends her sailing…

Sandy rights herself in mid air and lands in a crouch but only has a fraction of a second reprieve before she has to bring up her fan to block a naginata…

It was a mistake to taunt Tenten in the beginning…

Oh well…

The fight turns into a fan versus sword battle but its clear Temari hasn't had much experience in using her fan as anything more than an oversized club or a medium to channel wind chakra…

Tenten clearly has the upper hand and presses her advantage sweeping Sand girl's legs out from under her…

Blade now at her throat she could do little else but forfeit…

''Winner: Tenten''

''YOSH TENTEN-CHAN YOUR YOUTHFUL FLAMES ARE BURNING BRIGHTLY! COME LEE-KUN, NARUTO-KUN WE MUST SHOW TENTEN THAT WE TOO BURN WITH YOUTHFUL PASSION!''

''GAI-SENSEI!''

''LEE!''

I just tune the rest out…. They're both exceedingly embarrassing… but I'm somewhat used to it… It usually breeds overconfidence in our enemies…

I'm sure most other watching this display have already pegged Lee and I weaklings… well… mostly Lee…

\-\-\

The match with Shikamaru is pretty impressive I suppose…. It doesn't come as any surprise… I've always known that he was smart…. Just exceedingly lazy….

Looks like the sand team are all siblings… Sabaku no Kankuro huh… a puppet user as well… just as I thought...

He makes quick work of that fool millugy or something… whatever the fuck his name was….

Looks like it's my turn…

Hmph… An Inuzuka huh… better make this quick… there's no point showing off here considering that this preliminary hardly matters…

''Looks like we lucked out Akamaru! This guy looks pretty weak!''

Or maybe not...

\-\-\

Up in the stands the other jounin except Yuuhi Kurenai couldn't help but slap there heads…

Kurenai, she's pretty hot actually…

''What's wrong, Kiba's may be brash but he's very strong and he's right, Uzumaki doesn't look very strong…''

With that she receives what I like the call the 'are you crazy?!' look from the other jounin senseis.

''KURENAI-CHAN ITS VERY UNYOUTHFUL OF YOU TO THINK THAT A STUDENT OF MINE WOULD BE WEAK. I AM SORRY BUT KIBA-KUN WILL NOT BE GOING ANY FURTHER I'M AFRAID. NARUTO-KUN'S FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN!''

''THAT'S RIGHT KURENAI SENSEI! MY RIVAL WILL DEFEAT YOUR STUDENT. I HAVE NEVER MET A GENIN STRONGER THAN NARUTO-KUN AND I'VE BEEN A GENIN FOR A YEAR!''

''LEE!''

''GAI-SENSEI!''

Well not exactly the endorsement I was hoping for but it makes me feel proud nonetheless that sensei acknowledges me as a strong shinobi…

''You wouldn't know as you've recently become jounin…'' says the other sensei with a cigarette in his mouth… Sarutobi Asuma I think…

''Oh, I kno-''

''Not that!'' he says a bit harshly… she looks surprised…

''Uzumaki Naruto was the rookie of the previous year and one of the strongest graduates we've had… he was probably at kiba's level or higher when he graduated and that was a year ago… the kid never really stops training so I doubt you'll find his skills have dulled any… I'm sorry Kurenai but Kiba's luck just ran out.''

She looks around to find everyone's face serious, completely devoid of any jokes… Kakashi's back to reading his perverted books and even the Hokage seems to be watching intently…

A few of the rookies look a bit disbelieving but that's to be expected… they haven't seen true power yet… they pink haired banshee is still talking about how awesome Sasuke-kun is after all….

Hyuuga Neji's also looking on intently… trying to scope out your 'rival' Neji… you'll never be a match for me…

I can hear the referee about to start the match… I better start paying attention…

On the surface it seems like the overconfident Inuzuka and I are having a stare down preparing for an epic battle…

Neji activates his Byakugan… he knows my penchant for tricks… seems he doesn't want to miss anything…

Shit... I hadn't thought about those eyes… oh well… there's nothing I can do but hope Neji doesn't ruin this for me.

I hear him let out a small gasp an I know right away he's spotted me… his only reaction is a small smile…

It seems he's happy to see Kiba about to be humiliated… he's probably having a fate monologue in his head moment…

''Inuzuka Kiba vs. Uzumaki Naruto: Begin!''

\-\-\

''You should quit now and spare yourself the embarrassment teme…. Look at you trying to look all intimidating dressed in all black like some wanna-be ninja…''

A few shinobi in our audience wince… I wince as well… this isn't gonna end well…

My face remains impassive… I was gonna end this quickly but I think a little humbling is in order…

I just stand there staring at this bumbling fool knowing it would rile him up… I want to force him into action…

He takes the bait and comes straight at me like some rapid dog… god this is humiliating…

As I neatly avoid every claw swipe with such a casual ease that its clear now even to his sensei that he's being toyed with dog-boy predictably gets even more riled up.

Another reckless swipe opens up his guard and a palm strike to the sternum sends him tumbling an impressive distance…

This gets a few raised eyebrows in the crowd as they know that it would take a considerable amount of strength to send someone as big as Kiba tumbling with a palm strike…

Seems like he's really pissed off now…

He's feeding pills to his dog…

What the fuck... are they gonna commit senpukku cause of this… damn..

Well… this is weird…

Suddenly his puppy looks quite a bit more feral…

Man beast clone huh…

From the proud look on his sensei's face this must be his ace in the hole…

What a fool…

A great deal of clan information In Konoha is easier to get than most people realise… not only that but the Uchiha had extensive information on the other clans in their library…..well….. My library…

I know exactly what this is… and while it's impressive he can do it so young… against me…. It's useless…

''Lets go Akamaru….**GATSUUGA!!''**

Not unexpected…. As they come barrelling towards me an impressive pace I take a page out of the Uchiha's book and a spool of ninja wire is sent streaming towards them….

I know he can't see In that rotation… he depends on smell… that's good Inu-teme… you're about to be in a world of pain…

The other participants could only look on in shock as the ninja wire wraps itself quickly and securely using the pair's rotation….

Akamaru and his pet human come out of their rotation only to find themselves bound with the end of the wire in my mouth….

Now most people would say give up or die…

But this mutt insulted me…

Don't fear… I won't kill him… being the enemy of the Inuzuka clan would only complicate things for me…

''**Katon: Ryuka no jutsu!''**

And the dragon fire goes lancing down the wire towards the prone forms of the Inuzuka and his mutt…

It raises quite a few eyebrows in the crowd… and quite a few 'I told you so' looks towards Kurenai …

The mutt and his boy are now horribly burned… but not too horribly… I see the medics coming and I can't help but enjoy the look on his face at my parting shot…

''Arrogant fools like you know nothing of what it means to be a shinobi…'' everyone goes silent… paying very close attention to what I have to say…

They're in for a shock…

''Lose that foolish attitude, increasing your training… maybe one day you'll be a true shinobi worthy of my time and I'll fight you for real, myself…''

Everyone's confused until Uzumaki Naruto disappears in a 'poof' of smoke… the tell tale signs of a shadow clone being dispersed…

There's absolute silence…. And disbelief…

This is why I get out of bed in the morning….

This is why I train myself constantly to surpass my limits…

The moments like these…

''Uh…'' The proctor seems a little lost for words…

''Where is Uzumaki Naruto?''

''Right here….'' A voice pipes up behind the jounin instructors on the balcony causing every head in the arena to whip around violently…

''Yo...''

''NARUTO-KUN MY STUDENT AS COOL AND HIP AS MY RIVAL KAKASHI!''

''NARUTO MY RIVAL! THAT WAS A MOST PASSIONATE DISPLAY OF YOUTHFUL FIRE! YOU INSPIRE ME TO TRAIN HARDER SO THAT ONE DAY I WILL SURPASS YOU MY RIVAL!''

''Ahem… uh... well there's nothing in the rules to say you can't beat your enemy with a clone… Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!''

Silence…

There aren't many spectators… I wasn't expecting roaring applause… its written all over their face after all… I know I've impressed quite a few people today… this might further my chances at becoming Chuunin… I may have had to show some skill but it was worth it…. What I showed to day was a mere fraction of my power anyway….

Eh…

I thought everyone would have stopped staring by now…

\-\-\

'_Naruto…. You've truly grown strong…. I'm proud' were the thoughts of the aged fire shadow…_

'_Sensei… you would have been proud of your legacy… I only wish I could have trained him myself… he's a genius… like me...'_

'_Naruto-kun, you've taken the first step to proving yourself… I'm very proud of you my student... soon they will all see just how brightly your flames of youth burn'_

'_I can't believe that kid… he's strong… and he knows about Gaara…'_

'_Uzumaki Naruto… I will have your blood….'_

'_I can't believe he beat Kiba…. And so easily… Its so embarrassing… everyone else knew he was strong and I looked like a fool in front of Asuma…'_

'_He's so hot… '_

'_Naruto-kun…'_

'_As clever and as strong as always my rival…. I have more training to do if a clone of his is that strong… but no matter… in the end he will fall at my feet, fate has already determined it. A glancing blow from Juuken would have dispelled the clone anyway… that clone looked so real though… I wouldn't even have known it wasn't him if I didn't see the second one behind us… '_

'Why the hell does everyone look lost in thought...? Don't get me wrong… its doing wonders for my ego but I wanna get the fuck outta here as soon as possible…'

\-\-\

The matches finally get back on track…

Pink banshee versus yellow banshee…. What the fuck has Konoha come to….

These two pitiful excuses for kunoichi are an embarrassment… you can see it on the faces of the jounin and the Hokage giving Asuma and Kakashi looks that plainly say 'What the fuck have you been doing?'

The outcome is favourable though the small spike that might have been unnoticeable to anyone but me paints a really clear picture…

Yamanaka Ino was about to win…

One of the ANBU hidden in the arena made sure they were both out…

It seems those two embarrassments couldn't be allowed to fight in front of dignitaries and the other Kages no matter what… now they're both out…

Damn… that's cold…

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

\-\-\

That guy Shino's pretty impressive…. Sneaky… but entirely too logical…. Against an unpredictable shinobi like myself or Orochimaru that would prove to be a weakness….

Now it looks like some sound freak and some Konoha fat-kid…

It didn't last very long….. fat boy got his ass beat…Chouji I think his name is…

He's alright in the Akimichi clan techniques I suppose…maybe he should put down the pork chops and work on his body conditioning and ninjutsu…

So it looks like its just Lee, the sand kid and the two Hyuuga left….

Well... lee and the sand kid….

\-\-\

Ok…. So that's the business you're in now Neji… intimidating little girls…

And you had the nuts to consider yourself my rival…

This is beyond pale… listen to this self-righteous prick…

…

..

…

..Ok… so maybe it worked…

She gave up…

.

.

Just like that…

.

What a fucking weakling…. No effort… perhaps he was right… she is a spoilt brat…

\-\-\

­  
Rock Lee vs. Sabaku no Gaara

In many ways this is the fight I've been waiting for…

Though I'd prefer if it wasn't Lee that had to be the guinea pig to test the extent of Gaara's ability….

''YOSH!''

''Lee listen to me…. Take of your weights and finish him quickly… just knock him out Lee… trust me…''

Gai-sensei seems surprised at the request as do some of the other eavesdroppers but I don't give a fuck… Lee needs to take this seriously…

He seems torn… probably Gai-sensei's fault… probably told him some precious people bullshit and the noble cunt ate it up… Lee…you're fast but don't use your speed… why sensei… because we're noble and it wouldn't be fair… only use your speed to save you precious people... hai sensei…. That's so youthfully noble..

Fools…

If he dies…

''Fine…. Don't take my word for it… leap to your doom Lee…''

Gai-sensei seems disappointed at my proclamation but Lee looks absolutely depressed… fool probably thinks I have no faith in him… now he's gonna get all hyper while trying to prove that he can be a great shinobi with just taijutsu…

The guy really has some issues…

See… there's that fire…

''Sabaku no Gaara vs. Rock Lee: Begin''

And predictably Lee starts it off…

''**Konoha Senpuu!'' **

And there's that sand shield…

The other genin looks surprised…

The sand siblings look like it's a forgone conclusion…

Fools… They might be weak pussies in the sand since the death of the Sandaime Kazekage… but that didn't mean Konoha was weak… Gaara would get his first taste of vulnerability today…

As Lee keeps pummelling the sand defence everyone looks on in surprise… it seems to be unyielding and quite powerful… the attacks thrown at Lee though… they're too slow… he's still wearing weights after all… he looks up at me only to see my trademark impassive stare… I have no time to say I told you so…

''You were right Naruto-kun…''

Fool…

Now everyone's looking at me again…

''NARUTO-KUN, WHAT IS GOING ON MY STUDENT?''

''Quiet down…'' and surprisingly he shuts up immediately…

''I observed a fight of Gaara's in the forest of death and I saw his sand defence…''

He looked surprised at that..

''I told Lee early on that if he had to fight him he should remove his weights immediately to get past the defence… the only other way would be to slow it down with water ninjutsu but Lee can't use any…. but he chose not to listen… the sand is autonomous… he doesn't need to move it… it moves on its own….''

Now everyone close pays extra attention… that last statement's caught even the venerable hokage's attention…

How should I play this… it wouldn't do to be reckless here…

''Gai-sensei… there's a reason for this…''

Gai-sensei seems to come out of his momentary trance and looks sharply at me….

''It is simple.… do you remember that time with that little kid people never really liked, they used to shun him and no merchants would sell to him... the one the old man used to protect... well… if Gaara lived in that town… they would shun him too…''

Everyone looks confused except for Sabaku no Temari who was close enough to hear… she seems… scared…

The Hokage catches on first… you can tell by the slight widening of his eyes and then the calculating gleam they then adopt…

True to his genius name Hatake Kakashi is next…. Shikamaru just confused… he doesn't know enough to put the pieces together..

Surprisingly Gai-sensei finally understands and gives me a long hard look…

''Are you sure Naruto…?'' I've never heard him speak so softly..

''Hai-sensei… and he's unstable… he believes it's his mother….''

This causes immediate alarm….

Kakashi puts away his book and the Hokage sits a little straighter in his chair….

I guess I should feel terrible… betraying another container this way… but naaaahhh…

He's useless…

A fucking weakling…

I've lived my life alone and suffered as well, there's no excuse for such weakness…

''LEE! TAKE THEM OFF!''

He looks shocked but immediately complies… the others just look confused…

Until he removes the weights and they hit the ground creating massive damage to the arena floor…. He pauses seemingly to give all the non-believers time to pick up there jaws…

Then he vanishes…

Well… to most folks…

Kakashi must have gotten soft if he needs the sharingan to see Lee move…

No one's more surprised that the denizens of the sand though when Lee appears inside Gaara's shield and punches him clear across the room…

Lee's really come a long way… he's even surpassed my expectations of him… without chakra he's faster than me… he's a fuckin beast…

Gaara's being pummelled and the sand team, even their jounin instructor is left gaping…

Lee disappears and reappears frequently but as he moves this time… I know its all over…

Shadow of the dancing leaf….. First part of the initial lotus….

''**Omoto Renge!''**

With that Lee and Gaara go crashing into the floor sending chunks of tile flying all over the room…

Well done Lee… but he's not out yet…

I can still sense his chakra…

The sand team looks like they're about to shit themselves… why I don't understand…

They're looking at Lee in fear…

Now I understand what the Hokage meant about these exams… Showing off the power of a nation's ninja… watching Lee who's likely faster than anything they've ever seen they can't help but feel fear at the thought of even a fraction of Konoha's forces being that strong… The old man is surprised but not many would be able to tell… he's spotted the sand team's look… their surprise at someone being able to harm their demon container… its apparently never happened before gathering from the things the kunoichi's been saying… he's keeping an impassive face and the jounin seem to have caught on… well kakashi and Asuma anyway…Let the other countries think this was just another Konoha genin… let them think we're surprised the boy's that good but not overly so… let them think that most of our genin are on Lee's level.. it'll only help after all… and when they look at the genin and start to wonder what the jounin are like….

Hahahahahahahaha!!

Damn…

I could really get to like this politics shit…

Cmon Lee… finish him…

A massive blow to the back of hishead is Lee's response to my silent advice…

It's silent now…

Gaara looks a little woozy… dazed… and he's out… like a light.

''Winner: Rock Lee!''

''YOSH!! GAI-SENSEI! NARUTO-KUN! TENTEN-CHAN!''

Even I can't help but give the guy a smile… he's worked pretty darn hard for this… he's never arrogant and he's a pretty fuckin strong shinobi….

''YOSH! LEE! I AM SO PROUD! YOU FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN WITH THE STRENGTH OF A THOUSAND SUNS!''

''GAI-SENSEI!''

''LEE!''

''GAI-SENSEI!''

''LEE!''

I'm glad an all but the teary celebration is a bit much…

Even as I turn I've already got my facial muscles preparing the cheekiest of smirks for those sand bastards….

But I turn… and they're ignoring me…

They're not even looking at me…

If they looked scared before now they're downright terrified….

But they're not staring at Lee… they're staring at their battered teammate..

Serves em right… arrogant pricks… weaklings… waltzing in here thinking they're hot shit…

I can't believe I'm having a 'proud citizen of Konoha' moment…

That thought sobers me real quick…

Hn…

Well don't just stare at him you pricks…

He-

Ok…

.

.

People who get knocked the fuck out don't usually have youkai building exponentially inside them do they…

..

..

Please say they do…

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..

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..

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Awww fuck….

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**A/N: Damn… that's the longest chapter I've ever written… I've been busy enjoying my summer and happily ignoring this story since I couldn't find the inspiration… plus my mates said it was shit and I need to change the summary… Anyone got a summary for me please feel free to post it…**

**I need some ideas on what I should do next… but I know I can trust my reviews to tell me when I'm doing shit… and to tell me just how to fix it.**

**Anyways...the Lee knocking Gaara out thing... totally possible... Lee's stronger than in canon because his eternal rival is an active participant and pushes him to greater heights... same for Tenten... Naruto being on the team means that she's much stronger... I don't believe a layer oF sand on your skin can realistically protect you much from the punch of a shinobi able to shatter brick walls... even regular kungfu guys in the movie break bricks.. chakra weilding shinobi in my story will have no problem breaking them either.. especially taijutsu master shinobi who comepletely destroy the surrounding terrain... they'll be master sand amor destroyers in this fic cuz i said so...**

**any other differences are meant to be there... fanfiction only borrows characters... mostly following the canon like i'm doing is totally optional and only makes things easier to follow... **

**The next update won't take nearly as long... it'll be what happened at the end of the prelims and the month break most probably...**

**I need post invasion ideas... instant nuke-nin naruto... indecisive newly-made-chuunin naruto... finally getting some respect and decides to stick around naruto... or opportunistic naruto who won't in a million years give up the chance to get training from the gama sennin..**

**Thanks for reading**

**Dumblemort**


	8. Chapter 8

My Idol

My Idol

Chapter 8

It's like time's slowed to a crawl….

This must be what the sharingan feels like…

Lucky Uchiha bastards….

I'm tempted to strike a pose… just to see if I look good in slow motion…

..

..

..

Best not to encourage sensei and Lee…

.

.

I can't believe this is happening…

.

The sand shinobi look terrified… as they well should be… they've all been terrified of this Gaara… even the jounin sensei…

I suppose it makes sense… that sand defence is formidable… there aren't many people truth be told who take speed to the levels of Sensei, Lee and I…

In fact… I've never seen anyone else move as quickly…. Though Gai-sensei maintains that his eternal rival Kakashi is nearly as fast as he is…

But I digress…

The place is going to hell…. The genin too terrified to move…

A few jounin looking wobbly on their feet as well…

The sand team's looking for the exit…

The Hokage… well… there's a reason I've loved the old man other than his kind disposition…

He's standing there and I can suddenly clearly recall his entry in the bingo book….

The professor's just the family name…. the Konoha given nick-name for their greatest genius… the master of every Konoha jutsu… student of the first and second…

But that's not what I see now… I see what countless enemies of Konoha saw in the past two shinobi wars… the Shinobi no Kami…

The man who should be worshipped at shinobi shrines everywhere…

An unshakable pillar… gazing stone faced at the emerging demon….

A few of the shinobi seem to be taking strength from this…

Good for them…

Not me though….

I don't need a pillar of strength… I've been working on my resistance to murderous intent….

When face-to-face with the Kyuubi there isn't much else you can do but hope he kills you quickly…

What could this…. This….

Erm..

..

..

Less-than-nine tails…

.

..

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Whatever…. He can't hope to inspire fear in one who's lived my life.

.

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\-\-\

.

Well…. 'cept for the sandy appendages…. I mean… what the fuck…

They're really freaky…. Its taken me by surprise quite a bit... makes me wonder what I could transform into…

Doesn't mean I'm not ready though…

Everyone's ready….

To my left…

Hachimon gates unlocked and need only be opened…

To the right…

..

..

..

What the fuck is THAT?!…

..

.

.

The copy-ninja's holding some screeching… though very cool looking lightning jutsu in his hand…

Flashy bastard…

It seems even Neji's gotten over his fear a little and has settled rigidly into one of his deadlier stances…. Found his bravery has he…..

..

..

Who am I kidding… there's no bravery there…. Just over bearing arrogance…

..

..

..

..

The Hokage… well… he appears to be doing nothing at all…

Just looking…

.

.

But not to me…. I can feel the power building….

Power built up over countless years of hard training and constant war…

He's ready…

Well…

Can't let them have all the fun can I…

* * *

\-\-\

It's occurred to me that I've never fully cut loose in front of anyone before…..

The look's I'm getting confirms it…

The immense swell of chakra…. The pressure staggering shinobi even greater than I…

The surprised and proud look from the Hokage gives me a warm feeling in side…

It's quickly erased by the suspicious and disbelieving looks shot to me by some of the other ninja present…

There's no red chakra here cunts…. Its allllll…. mine….

I see a few ANBU have arrived… not surprising considering the chakra output in the stadium is beyond anything a post Kyuubi shinobi would ever have felt…

The rookies all look intimidated…

And they should be…

The feeling of everyone moving in water has returned….

Well… cept for the Hokage… he's not moving in slow motion at all….

He seems to be moving just fine in fact…

It seems he's spotted something and the faint purple glow around four of his fingers leads me to believe the fun's about to come to a close…

There aren't many things known about the God of shinobi… besides the fact that he became Hokage at something like 14… mastered… as in completely mastered every Konoha jutsu… and kicks major ass whenever he steps on to the battle field….

There's one other thing though any good shinobi would take account of….

He's not just called God for jutsu mastery….

He's called God for **ninja** mastery….. He's the perfect shinobi… its all about objective and economy…

As four glowing fingers plunge into the stomach of the sand demon-container the battle comes to an abrupt close….

The killing intent… the massive youkai…. Everything… just dies…

There's no relenting… or slowing… or receding… it just cuts off abruptly…

And Sabaku no Gaara falls to the earth…

.

.

\-\-\

The sand team's even more nervous now….

They should be… they brought an unstable demon to an 'allied' nation to compete in an exam… I pity the fools…

The ANBU's taken the boy… to containment I suppose… they've taken the sand jounin as well… to what I assume to be the ANBU torture and Interrogation division.

The Hokage looks positively murderous…. I've never seen him like this before… all the other shinobi seem to be following his lead… all stone faced and serious….

The foreign, as well as younger shinobi in the exam appear to be disbelieving of what they've just witnessed…. Well… except for the Oto jounin-sensei…. He's just…. Disappeared.

.

\-\-\

.

So we've been dismissed and told to return in a month…. Rather abrupt… and unsatisfying…

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though… this IS a shinobi village… every secret is guarded quite jealously….

I suppose its one of the reasons none of these foreign ninja appear to know of my status as a demon container despite the fact that all of adult Konoha seems to know…

Meh…

Whatever…

I need some information…. Tenten and Lee seem to be badgering Gai-sensei for answers… well mostly Lee…

Hmph… Gai-sensei won't have the answers I need though… it seems I'll have to do a bit of sear-

''Uzumaki Naruto, Hokage-sama wishes to see you at once.''

So it's just an ANBU…

I relax my guard a bit and give a stiff nod of assent…

.

\-\-\

.

''Hokage-sama…'' I give a slight but respectful bow…

''Naruto-kun….''

..

…

..

.

I wish he wasn't staring out that window… it'd be helpful if I could at least get some kind of hint from his expression.

..

.

.

.

This is getting boring, unnecessarily suspenseful and quite annoying…. Is he even going to say anyth-

''I'm glad to see that you've grown so strong Naruto-kun…''

''Thank you, Hokage-sama''

Well at least the slight wince is telling….

Usually someone of his experience wouldn't make such obvious gestures, but I suppose he feels sufficiently guilty about my upbringing and a bit nostalgic about the days when I called him old man….

Hmm…

.

Bastard probably doesn't think I know anything about reading body language anyway…

''You've surpassed all of my expectations…. Grown truly strong, especially at your age.''

I couldn't help the little snort that slipped out….

This coming from the Guy who became Hokage at like 14…

''But I digress…. I'm sure you have some idea as to why I've called you here today…''

''Hai Hokage-sama….''

..

..

.

.

Ok so think fast…

.

.

Erm.

.

.

''It wasn't hard to figure out about the Kyuubi with everyone referring to me as fox and demon Hokage-sama.''

It's a statement of fact… though I suppose I shouldn't have phrased it thusly if I wanted to spare myself the angst that seems to have settled over the old man's office…

Spare me the sorrowful gaze you old fool…. I might admire you… but after finding out the truth I'm not so sure how much I like you anymore …

''I see…''

''But surely even that wouldn't be enough to know…. Afterall… your…. …Situation… isn't very common Naruto-kun...''

Sharp as always…

''I did some research…. And I may have …ha..eek..ro….''

.

.

''I'm sorry Naruto-kun, you must excuse me, I'm afraid I can't hear so well anymore in my old age…''

.

.

.

''I said…. I may have had a peek at the forbidden scroll as well…''

.

.

..

.

Well…. at least he's surprised…and not murderous…

Looks a bit impressed as well…

.

.

.

I'd puff my chest out a bit if I didn't think it'd get me taken down a few pegs…

''Oh…. And how did you come into possession of the forbidden scroll…''

The hard stare and the now slightly less restrained power reading from the hidden ANBU in the ceiling suggest I should answer carefully….

''I ran into a young boy in the forest with the scroll in his possession…. I was surprised… but I took the opportunity to look it over since it was already out anyway….''

''So why didn't you return the scroll to me...'' he says with a slight frown.

.

.

.

''Well…. The ANBU were coming and I knew they would return it…. Besides… what do you think would have happened to me if anyone caught me anywhere near the scroll…. If being 'the demon' isn't enough, the fact that the scroll holds details of the workings of the seal would make them suspect me immediately…. I would likely have been executed on the spot…''

''I know how some view you in this village Naruto-kun but surely you know that there are laws and rules in place when capturing criminals… there was no threat of you being exe-''

''Fear makes people irrational…'' I state simply… I can feel my anger building slightly…. How dare this fool speak such drivel to me… after everything I've been through he discounts my fear of wrongful prosecution as paranoia…. A fear borne of ….you guessed it…. Wrongful prosecution…

How many trumped up charges have I been brought in on before…. I've been accused of throwing over an entire market stall at three… a huge market stall… me… an under nourished three year old at the time…

People rarely make sense when it comes to dealing with 'the demon'…

''I've been prosecuted many times for things I haven't done and I've had attempts on my life before Hokage-_sama_''

The old man seems to have given up on that line of questioning… thankfully…

He looks like he's about to say something…. But then he breathes deeply and then removes his hat…

''I have always tried my best to protect you Naruto-kun…''

I'm not sure about 'his best' but I can't deny that he's protected me…

''When the Kyuubi attacked all those years ago… It was indescribable…. The Demon... it was like a like a force of nature…unstoppable…. ''

Why are you telling me this old man….

''There wasn't much known about the biju back then… or even now. Ancient lore on the subject is quite rare…. And the rest of the information available is mostly rumour… The Kyuubi though…. The Kyuubi….. It was unlike anything we had ever seen before…. The sheer power…. The bloodlust…. It was staggering…. I remember feeling the intensity of the Kyuubi power and its murderous intent as it approached this village…. And how… despite the fear, how tirelessly everyone worked to try to figure out a solution… When the beast finally showed his face, showed us that what we had felt approaching was but a smidgen of the great demon's power… The Yondaime…he…. He had no choice Naruto-kun. You as a ninja should understand…. One day you may be called to lay down your life for this village…''

Yeah right…

''….The Hokage as the village leader and main protector could offer nothing less than his all to ensure the safety of everyone….''

Yeah yeah…thought you'd say something like that you old bastard but the question that's really on my mind at the moment is…

''Why me?''… It's but a whisper…. fortunately the office is deathly still…. He heard me alright…

''Naruto…you must understand… if there was any other optio-''

''BULLSHIT!''

There…

he's done it….

There goes the last of the patience that he's sorely been testing for the past few minutes….

''No other option….'' He looks shocked by the outburst… not surprisingly… I've been the epitome of shinobi since I graduated… arguing with the Hokage is not something I would normally do…. But fuck it… I need answers…

''How could there be no other option old man…'' the hidden ANBU guard tenses… it seems I'm manifesting a bit…. I blame the Kyuubi…. My anger's a bit more palpable than the norm… I can never completely mask rage…

''Tell your ANBU this is a private conversation….''

He looks surprised…

But nods his assent…. It seems he doesn't want to risk breaking our 'bonds' even further…. Fool.

This one's particularly skilled… his presence is nearly completely gone… only my extraordinarily heightened chakra awareness gives away the fact that he hasn't in fact left…..

Just like Orochimaru…. All that time and I couldn't sense him before he attacked the Uchiha.

Anyways, back to the matter at hand…

''I'm not the only person my age…. There were others…. You want my perspective on what happened…. I'll tell you what happened… A helpless orphan is the path of least resistance… no point trying to get someone else's child when you can use one that belongs to no one! I was to be used… and then discarded...Hokage-sama.''

''SILENCE!!''

.  
.

''Its not…… ……………………it is not true….. The Yondaime was an honourable man… a man of rare calibre… beyond reproach… to suggest such a thing…''

''Where is my proof that he was such a man?!... What fond memories do I have of that bastard! What fond memories do I have at all!? Where was the kindness and honour when he decided to seal a demon in me?!... Where is the hon-''

''He wanted you to be seen as a hero….. He never meant for this to happen…''

''A hero…. Ahahahahaha!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!''

''A hero you say… then he truly was a fool…. He expected me to end up a hero… in this cowardly village...''

''ENOUGH!!''... its punctuated by an immense amount of chakra pressure...

Hardly intimidating old man...

.

.

Ok maybe I'm pressing a bit too hard…

That was borderline treasonous…. I need to be careful or I'll never make it out of this village… Life's taught me one lesson well… the Hokage...Yondaime or Sandaime… will always put the 'village' first…. it's not exactly an ideal situation when you're Uzumaki Naruto…

''Things work out given time boy….''

So its 'boy' now…. Interesting…

''After the Kyuubi was sealed I made a law forbidding anyone from speaking of the incident… What I had not counted on was the people carrying such resentment for so long and it would seem, also passing prejudices on to their children…. When you were younger Naruto-kun….. I always tried my best to protect you from those who would harm you… do you not remember…''

''I remember old man…. But it's hardly what I would call your best….''

''Naruto, I would have taken you in myself but I could not both take care of a child and perform the duties of a Hokage….''

''And as I'm sure there was no one else in this village willing to take in the demon...''

''That's not entirely true Naruto…. There were a few who would have taken you into their homes… some unsavoury and others fairly trustworthy… however… I could not offer you any special treatment… The other orphans of the Kyuubi attack had all been put into the orphanage…''

''And I suppose the council forbid you helping me…''

No answer….. But that's answer enough in itself…

''Last time I checked **you** were the Hokage… the leader of this village… The council's merely a body to regulate your power so you don't abuse it but in most cases they cannot overrule you…. Most of the things they could do to deter you would be treason and grounds for execution….. tell me old man… tell me how you expect me to believe this your '**best**'…''  
.

.

.

''I can only thank Kami you didn't do your worst….''

''Naruto…''

''No tell me… tell me why you couldn't do more for me…. Why you allow a council made up of greedy old men and women to make your decisions for you… Why your Yondaime chose me… the real reason…. Why you can't tell me who my parents are… it doesn't matter that I'm an orphan… this is a shinobi village… you would have procured that information the moment I became the container and an item of interest…. Tell me why today, against the raging demon, I saw the God of shinobi, yet most of my antagonists meet the Professor…. Tell me how a huge security risk like an unstable sand-demon container even made it into Konoha undetected in the first place despite oozing bloodlust from the moment he entered…. Tell me how your ex-student Orochimaru made it into Konoha and assaulted Itachi's brother…how….. Why? Why make demon containers….? Why claim the half-hearted effort you've made on my behalf to be your best……………''

.

''Why……?''

.

''I'd like to know that myself….Sensei…''

Jiraiya…

.

\-\-\

.

I didn't even sense him…..

And now that he's visible I can still barely sense him…

So this is the power of the sannin.

''What's this I hear about a Suna Jinchuuriki…..''

''Jiraiya…''

''So it seems the rumours of the Shukaku sealing have some merit...''

''Hai…. I'm afraid it is indeed true Jiraiya… he's in custody right now... I'd like you to have a look at his seal… I only got a glimpse of it... it seemed to have three points so I used a four point seal to cut off the chakra flow…''

''Even and odd….''

''Indeed…''

.

.

.

.

.

.

''So this is the boy….''

.

.

I tense a bit…. I suppose the legendary gama-sennin… a master of seals and the teacher of the Yondaime should know enough about the seal to not think me the Kyuubi… but it pays to be prepared.

He only gets a nod in response….

But now he's staring at me…

All creepy like….

I'd say…. familiar…fondness…. but I'm certain I've never met him before…

''Naruto-kun…''

''Hai Hokage-sama...''

''There are things I must discuss with Jiraiya…. We will have to continue this another day I'm afraid….''

''Hai...''

''You will have the answers you need…..when you're ready for them…''

What? What the fuck is that supposed to mean….. Though I suppose it's a clue… it must be something big if I need to be 'ready for the answers'…

''Hai, Hokage-sama''

A small gust and light smoke leaves sensei and student ….. and hidden ANBU I suppose… the only occupants of the room…

.  
\-\-\

.  
So Jiraiya of the sannin is here…. Interesting.

He couldn't have been called in because of what happened with the Suna container…. That was barely a few hours ago…

It must be coincidence…. But in the world of ninja such 'coincidences' often aren't…

I suppose someone must have gotten word of Orochimaru… it's the only explanation…

Between the forest of death and today that would be over 5 days…. Hardly enough for most shinobi but then again both Jiraiya and Orochimaru have proven themselves to be anything but 'most shinobi'….

I wonder what Tsunade's like….

.

\-\-\

.

Since I haven't got much else to do today I might as well continue my training….

I'm sure I could have dealt with Gaara…. But not nearly as handily as the Sandaime did….

Between the Hokage… the sannin and even the copy ninja's lightning jutsu…. I've come to realise that the improvements I've seen has made me fairly complacent…

I'm nowhere near ready for Itachi…. I'm confident I can beat most of the idiots in this village… well cept for the elite ninjas… but I need to surpass my limits…

I've been limiting myself….

I've been looking at the strengths of others….

The weakness of the ninja around me has led me to believe I'm stronger than I really am…. Unrivalled chakra reserves… yet without the skill to wield it properly it's nearly useless against the stronger, more experienced shinobi…

I even underestimated the extent of Lee's growth… and I know that he can open at least 3 gates as well…

I'm not working hard enough…

I can't continue on in this way if I'm ever to measure my capacity…

.

\-\-\

.

Some light stretches and a run with some heavier weights should be just enough to tire me out and bring a close to this troublesome day…..

.

\-\-\

.

I wake up and it's like a dream…. I still can't believe yesterday happened…

Hmmm….

Clean up… breakfast….. meet my team…. Then training….

Let's see how far I can push it today…

\-\-\

.

''YOSH! NARUTO-KUN IS HERE GAI-SENSEI!''

''NARUTO MY YOUTHFUL STUDENT! JOIN US AS WE WORK OUT WHAT WE WILL DO FOR THE NEXT MONTH!''

.

.

''Hai…. But keep it down will you, you're giving me a headache…''

''SORRY…Sorry Naruto-kun…..''

''All of you have made it to the final….. I'm so proud. I HAVE DEFEATED MY RIVAL KAKASHI ONCE AGAIN!! THE SCORE NOW STANDS AT 52-50 IN MY FAVOUR!!''

These guys are so fuckin incorrigible…

Lee's looking at sensei with stars in his eyes…

Fag…

''How are you going to train us all sensei? There isn't much you can do for all of us in a month...''

Tenten…

I'd almost forgotten she was on this team….

The other two are so…..

Vocal…

She's caught me looking and now she's blushing…. God…. A not-so-secret admirer. A needless distraction...

''Gai-sensei….. If you don't mind I would like to train on my own for the month….''

''Naruto…''

''Sensei…. I am already stronger than Neji… and I know how the Hyuuga fight…. Even if he improves during the month I will be improving as well…. Lee has to fight Uchiha Sasuke… who's copied a bit of his style already. Tenten's fighting Shikamaru… who despite her being vastly superior to physically, is perhaps the greatest genius I know…. He can pick her style apart after a few minutes observation…. And he's seen a great deal of it today… if she doesn't completely outclass him in speed to hit him before he can react or come up with something new its likely she'll lose despite being stronger…''

Everyone's looking at me again…

.

.

I hate when they do that…

''YOSH! A MOST ACCURATE ANALYSIS NARUTO-KUN! IT IS MOST YOUTHFUL OF YOU TO WORRY FOR THE WELL-BEING OF YOUR TEAMMATES!!''

.

.

What…

.

.

.

Whatever…

.

.

''I'm afraid I must leave sensei…. I must begin my training at once…''

''DO NOT FEAR NARUTO-KUN I SHALL MAKE SURE TENTEN AND LEE ARE READY IN ONE MONTH'S TIME! IF I FAIL I SHALL DO TWO THOUSAND LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS!!''

''GAI-SENSEI!!''

''LEE!''

''GAI-SENSEI!''

''I'm off….''

''Wait Naruto-kun…. Should you require my aid you know where to find me… I'M ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO AID MY YOUTHFUL STUDENTS!''

''Hai, sensei...''

.

\-\-\

.

So what should I do first…?

Hmm…

.

.

.

Ok….so I got nothing….

.

.

Chakra control…. Always a good place to start…

.

.

.

Meditation under the waterfall it is….

.

\-\-\

.

Its been two hours and though I feel the flow of my own chakra even better than before I'm no closer to 'seeing auras' or anything of the sort yet…. I wonder why the Uchiha even had such a book….

Most of them were too lazy for the rigours of this training… besides they can already see chakra with the sharingan anyways….

Probably another one of there 'keep all the power in the clan' schemes….

Bastards…

.

\-\-\

.

Jiraiya's POV

This kid…. He's amazing…..

The patience and the control needed for such an exercise…. At his age as well…

If even half of what sensei's said about him is true….

He will be a great shinobi… _Maybe even better than you Minato…_

Let's see how good you are kid…

.

\-\-\

.

Normal POV

For the past few minutes there's been a steadily growing chakra presence nearby…

Usually I'd get up and leave… hoping to keep my training private… Well as private as is possible in a village full of skilled ninja…

What's keeping me then……

Well you see the presence started growing from only a few yards away from me…. It was completely masked from me despite being so nearby…

I already have some idea of who this could be…

I wonder what he could want…. And what the old man's told him…

I toyed with 'checking on the seal'… but the way he's revealing himself… it's like he's testing me…

His presence at the moment would still evade most ninja who aren't especially skilled in tracking…

Best not to disappoint him…

I throw a kunai directly into the bushes where I know he's hiding… only for it to come back at me twice as fast lodging itself into my chest….

I sense an increase in his chakra as he prepares to lunge to my aid… before his expression's transformed into surprise as I disappear in a wisp of smoke…

.

\-\-\

.

Jiraiya's POV

Kage bunshin….

At his age…

I see sensei didn't exaggerate his chakra reserves…

''How can I help you…. Jiraiya-sama...''

Dammit….

Oh…he's good…

For a runt anyway…

He looks just like you Minato…

.

\-\-\

.

Normal POV

There's that look again…

''Hmm…''

''You're pretty good gaki….''

''Thank you, Jiraiya-sama''

''So you're competing in the exams….''

''Hai…''

''…..The Hyuuga…. They say he's a prodigy…. The finest in years…. But then again… it's the same most unbiased shinobi say about you…''

''Neji is skilled…no doubt… but he's never been stronger than me…''

''A ninja doesn't need to be stronger than you to kill you gaki…. You'd do well to learn that…''

''I know…. But I am confident I can beat Neji…. Any improvement he makes will be negated by the improvements I make… I have no intention of slacking off…''

''hmmm…'' He seems to be in thought…. About what I wonder….

''So...why aren't you training with your team… I doubt Maito Gai would be unable to spare you some time for training…''

''I asked Gai-sensei if I could train on my own. There is not much he can teach me… the others would benefit greater from his traini-…''

''There is always something a more experience person….especially a ninja and one who is so different from yourself can teach you gaki.

You're very strong for your age…. Stronger than most realise…''

Shit…

''But I don't care about how much strength you hide…. Because at the moment you're not getting any stronger are you….''

.

.

.

Bastard

.

.

.

.

''Don't look so surprised gaki…. You remind me a lot of myself when I was your age…''

''You can only go so far training on your own…. Though sensei played favourites with Orochi-teme, without his teaching I would never have become as strong as I am today…. I'm sure the same could be said of him… receiving the teachings of both the Shodaime and Nidaime….''

.

.

It makes sense…..

In the beginning I made leaps and bounds that have now turned into baby-steps…

.

Could that be the reason for the slow improvement…?

.

.

Everyone plateaus at some point or the other… but could it be that I need to seek out education similar to Orochimaru and Jiraiya…. Itachi's no doubt had countless teachers in his clan… as well as eyes that teach on their own…

.

''Sensei's asked me to train you for the exam…''

.

.

.

.

.

.

I wonder what kind of luck I would have if I didn't have such a life…

.

I should take up gambling…

.

.

Opportunity knocks once again…

.

.

.

He's saying something but I can barely make it out…. I'm too busy restraining an excited, though rather embarrassingly girlish giggle…

''I've got some research to do as well so I won't always be available but I'll help you when I can…''

''Arigatou gozaimasu, Jiraiya-sa-…Jiraiya sensei….''

He looks like he's about to cry now…

Great…

Anyways fuck him and his personal issues…

Jiraiya-sensei….

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I swear…. Neji must be right…

Fate…

If this isn't destiny I don't know what is…

Jiraiya of the sannin….

Even if it's only a month… I'll be sure to wring every bit of benefit I can get from this opportunity…

Life… seems good now…

I can't hold back on him too much…. If I show him the level I'm at he may be interested in me as a full apprentice… or at least he may be tempted to show me some of his better training methods/stronger techniques over the month period…

Oh man…. What a fucking day….

''Of course there are other reasons… your body can only take so much strain until it grows…. You might be far better off than most as you hold the Kyuubi but you're human… not a demon… you still have limits till you grow a bit older and reach your prime…''

''Hai, Jiraiya-sensei….''

''Meet me here tomorrow gaki……''

.

.

.

''And take this….''

.

.

I catch the orange book tossed to me… no doubt a shinobi manual of some sort…

.

.

Or maybe not… that weird giggle tells a different story…

.

.

''Icha Icha…what's this…?''

''Read it gaki…. Ja ne…''

And he's gone…

Hmm…

Might as well…

.

\-\-\

.

Fucking idiot….

Fucking useless mop….

I need a new mop bucket as well…

This one's useless…

If anyone were to come in see all the blood on my floor….

Well…

That and the trail of dried blood running down my face from my nose…

There'd be a lot of uncomfortable questions…

Fucking idiot sensei….

Fucking Icha Icha…

Although Kagome from chapter 10 almost fits the description of Tenten

.

.

.

.

.

Curse you Jiraiya…

.

\-\-\

.

Jiraiya's POV

Hee heee heee…. Yes….. He seemed pissed at first but still read nearly half the book….

He will be my successor…. I can feel it…

A ninja genius and a pervert… like me it seems…

This kid's pure gold…

\-\-\

Normal POV

I can't believe this shit…

.

.

.

Of all the legendary teachers I could find I had to get some sick old man…

.

Though I must admit that if he's even half as talented a shinobi as he is an author I'll be in for one hell of a month…

'_Every word chipped away at the ice Tsu-chan had surrounded her heart with…. By the time Ji, the man hailed as the master of the bedroom….and kitchen….. and living room finished weaving words of pure silk into Tsu-chan's ear… his hot breath on her lobe doing things to her she had yet to experience in life………'_

Fuck…

Who would bother me at a time like this….

Master Ji was just about to claim Tsu-chan as his own…

.

.

I wonder if the old sicko's relationship with Tsunade really is anything like this…

''Stop banging my fucking door! I'm coming…''

''I bet you were gaki….''

.

.

I ruthlessly squash the urge to disembowel this fool…

''Jiraiya-sensei… please, come in… what a surprise….''

''Yeah, I'll bet….'' As he comes round the door he immediately looks to the book lying on the coffee table…

I'll bet the sicko was spying on me as well….

This does not bode well….

.

.

.

What if this guy's some kind of freak…. Strong shinobi usually have their quirks….

Look at Gai-sensei….. and Kakashi, who reads what I've now identified to be a pornographic novel at all hours of the day…

.

.

What if Jiraiya expects some kind of 'payment' for this training….

.

.

''Erm….. Sensei…. What exactly, may I ask, are you doing here?''

''Relax brat… I just came here to tell you meet at 6 tomorrow at the hot springs….''

''Hai sensei…''

''And brat……''

''Sensei….''

''Keep your training under wraps…. The less people that know…''

.

.

''I understand sensei…''

.

Many would interfere with the demon receiving training from the legendary gama-sennin…

''Don't be late gaki…''

''Hai…''

\-\-\

5:45….

Now would be a good time to leave….

I hardly got any sleep last night…

I've been staring at this clock for the past hour…

Think of it as a form of meditation…

The majority of the night before has been spent immersed in the sensual epic… or rather epically sensual tale of master Ji…

The guy's vanity is amazing…

He doesn't even work very hard to hide the fact that he's referring to himself…

5:50….

Finally….

I can leave….

.

.

Wouldn't want to get there too early and appear too eager…

It's still an uncomfortable feeling having to depend on someone…

.

\-\-\

….

.

.

I suppose I really shouldn't be surprised….

.

I mean… I've read his novel…

.

.

What did I expect really… him to be waiting there in official garb… holding an old tome, ready to introduce me to the secret arts…. Or demolishing the hot-springs with super-powered ninjutsu while I look on in awe and await the training to learn said ninjutsu…

.

.

Most assuredly not…

But then I didn't expect to find him peeping through a hole like some desperate and lecherous old fool…

.

.

Though I'll concede what he does in his private life is none of my business…

And I couldn't make him stop anyway…

I land softly beside him but even before my feet make contact with the ground I'm acknowledged…

''Right on time gaki…''

''Jiraiya-sensei'' I state simply in greeting

''Join me gaki…''

''Forgive me sensei, perhaps another time…''

''You're no fun gaki…''

.

.

.

.

.

.

''I'll get you yet…. You **do** read my books after all…''

.

I desperately hope he doesn't notice my blush…

.

I've rarely ever felt embarrassed….it is very unsettling…

.

''Anyways brat…. For some strange reason you have rather good chakra control… despite the fact that the fox plus the enormous amount of chakra you have should be constantly messing with your control…. I assume you already know the tree-climbing and water-walking exercises…''

''Hai sensei…''

''Well then I suppose we can move on to something s bit more interesting….''

.

.

Five hand seals and a swipe of blood later and he's now sitting on a toad carrying a big scroll…

.

.

Please tell me I'm not dreaming….

.

.

Dear god…. If you exist…. Please let this be what I think it is…

.

.

.

.

It is…

''Sign your name here… sign it in blood…''

''Hai-sensei...''

A summon contract….

.

.

I'm a summoner…

.

This is all a bit unreal…

.

My first lesson no less… I'm shuddering thinking of lessons to come…

.

People usually guard summoning contracts quite jealously… its rare to be presented such an opportunity.

''Right… here are the handseals brat… you'll need a bit of blood as well... as tribute of sorts…''

''Show me what you can do…''

There's challenge in those words…

.

.

If I disappoint here… who knows what kind of sick techniques I could miss out on….

.

Best to be safe and go all the way…

''**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!!''**

A gigantic puff of smoke later and I feel myself being raised a 100m into the air…

.

.

The smoke clears …Pride swells in my chest…. I deserve this one…

Gamabunta…. The toad-boss… on my first try no less…. Luckily summoning a boss only requires ridiculous amounts of chakra and very little finesse…

''**Jiraiya! Why have you summoned me….''**

Jiraiya's POV

Sensei may have praised Orochi-teme incessantly… but I gotta admit he truly was a genius deserving of praise… I should have known he wasn't exaggerating when  
he told me how much chakra the boy has… he's barely winded at all….

Even Orochimaru couldn't manage such a thing at his age…

This is going to be an interesting month...

Shit… Bunta looks pissed…

.  
\-\-\

.  
Normal POV

''Forgive me Gamabunta-sama…. It is I who summoned you….''

He seems to be measuring me up…

''**You, brat? Impossible…. Who the hell are you anyways?''**

''I'm Jiraiya-sensei's new apprentice…''

''**Apprentice? Since when? Jiraiya I thought you would never again take another apprentice…''**

''It is only for a month Gamabunta-sama… Jiraiya-sama has agreed to help me prepare for the upcoming Chuunin exam finals… I however was the one who summoned you… my name is Uzumaki Naruto, it is on the contract… I'm willing to submit to whatever test you administer to your summoners….''

''Bunta…. The boy really did summon you. He's got an unbelievable amount of chakra. I've agreed to take the gaki on as my apprentice…''

''**Hmmm… I see… Well at least the brat has more manners than you ever had Jiraiya…''**

Jiraiya's left spluttering in impotent rage… it's funny to see such an accomplished ninja behave so childishly…

''**So brat…. You wish to summon me….''**

''Hai, Gamabunta-sama''

''**Alright then brat…. I can see you'll be very powerful in future…. I'll let you summon me…. if you can stay on my head till noon….''**

What the fuck….

I mean…. I can do it… well I think so…

But till noon….

That's a half day wasted….

It's like 6:30am…. There's much training to be had between now and then…

.

.

.

.

.

.

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way….

.

Maybe I should look at this test as extra training…

.

.

Besides…. Who am I kidding…. I'm not about to lose out on a powerful summon for such a stupid reason….

.

''Hai, Gamabunta-sama….. It shall be as you say…''

''**Hmmm…. Well then gaki… hold on tight… I'm not about to go easy on you…''**

**  
\-\-\**

.

It's been four hours….

This is harder than I thought…

Well at least mentally….

It's very draining and tedious…

.

.

.

I'm not about to run out of chakra anytime soon… so he can keep jumping…

.

.

But I'm really tired of this game...

.

.

.

We both know I'm not going to fall off…

.

.

I'd graph myself to his skin if I have to…

.

What does he need as proof…. I suppose this is some 'test of my determination' or something equally as gay…

Dammit…

Jiraiya's gone back to peeping….

.

.

.

I've got a few stalkers as well…

.

.

Thank god Bunta decided to jump further and further away from Konoha before we started this… else I'd have even more stalkers right now…

.

Well…. there goes secrecy….

.

.

By this time tomorrow everyone will know…

.

.

I suppose it's my own fault…. Showing off….

Wasn't exactly discreet summoning **Gamabunta…** at the local hot-springs no less.

Jiraiya sensei at least doesn't seem to care…

I suppose showing I'm capable eclipses my slip up…

A new 'genius' apprentice to brag about wouldn't hurt either…

Anyways…

.

.

When the fuck is this gonna end….

I'm seriously starving…

.

.

I might as well sit down…. It wouldn't hurt to get some meditation in as well… a chakra control exercise should at least slightly make up for lost training…

.

\-\-\

.

Gamabunta's POV

**  
This boy…. I can tell right away he's your son Minato…**

**  
So young yet so strong…. The container of the demon as well…**

**  
He will make a fine summoner… He doesn't seem to be exerting any effort at all to stay on…**

**.**

**.**

**And now the cheeky brats sitting….**

**Hahahahaha…**

**I knew I would like this one…**

**He seems to be concentrating…. Meditating perhaps…**

**You're an interesting one kid**

**I best end this… he ain't falling off… that much is obvious and it'd only waste both our time to continue…**

\-\-\

.  
Normal POV

''**Alright brat…''**

''Gamabunta-sama….''

''**You've passed brat… we both know you're not falling off before noon…. Your reserves aren't even halved yet…''**

''Arigato Gamabunta-sama….''

''**Yeah yeah… tell that pervert Jiraiya I said don't summon me…. And when you're older we'll have to have a drink to seal the deal''**

''Hai Gamabunta-sama… I look forward to it''

''**Hmmn…I can tell you'll be interesting brat… Ja ne''**

Before I can reply he's gone in the same noisy explosion of smoke as before….

The new toad summoner… Uzumaki Naruto…

I love it…

I see a couple of my stalkers retreating as I fall lazily…. A slight twist… with a minor application of chakra… and I land almost soundlessly…

No doubt they're off to spread the word…

Whatever…

I think I'll get some food then I'll go to the hot springs and see what other super-ninja techniques I can wring out of Jiraiya…

\-\-\

.

Hn… seems I was right…

People are talking already…. Well… whispering anyways…

I'm sure by tomorrow most everyone will know about my summoning…

I suppose it's funny in a way….

It would be interesting to see what Neji comes up with to defeat what he'll no doubt assume to me my 'trump card'.

Summoning a large toad to defeat one ninja…. Especially one like Neji… is overkill in the extreme…

I have no intention of using my new technique so frivolously; it wouldn't be a 'Chuunin' thing to do anyway…

Sure most of them would take any opportunity to flaunt whatever new technique they've got, but it's not exactly the kind of thing the judges will be looking for though, I'm certain.

They'd use it as a way to show my 'immaturity' and lack of subtlety, no doubt denying me a promotion to Chuunin because of it…

Hn.

So….

Food…. I think I'll go home and avoid all the annoying stares…

After that, I'll find Jiraiya-sensei.

.  
\-\-\

.  
''Sensei…''

''What do you want gaki… can't you see I'm busy…''

I really, really hate this guy…

''I was just wondering if there was something else you could teach me today…. It is still early and I'd rather not slack off….''

.  
\-\-\

Jiraiya's POV

So the gaki's come for more…

Sure is enthusiastic…. Not very talkative though.

He might be strong, but does he have the right frame of mind?

That's the million ryo question…

I don't want to teach him too much more until I get a better feel for his personality.

The boy's been through a lot, there's no telling what he's hiding behind that expressionless gaze…

Hn…

I suppose I could teach it to him…. Though I'm not sure how it would do against a kaiten…

At least it'll keep him busy for the rest of the month and save me some time

Summoned the boss on his first try as well…. I suppose it's not like he can't handle it…

''Alright brat…. Let me get some supplies.''

\-\-\

Normal POV

''Hai-sensei….''

About time you old fuck… I was beginning to think you were checking me out with that stare.

\-\-\

.  
''Alright brat…. Listen close….''

Heart's racing…but I'm listening….

''This move I'm gonna show you was created by my last student…the Yondaime Hokage. It took him three years to make this and it took me a year to learn it properly. You can't teach anyone this technique…''

''Hai-sensei…''

''It's pretty destructive too…. Perhaps it's best if I just show you…''

He walks over to a group of trees and sticks out his hand….

It's not looking very impressive from here…

Well…. not until the chakra became visible…

Wow…

He's holding some kind of swirling energy ball…

''**RASENGAN!''**

Damn….

That's…

.

.

That's…

.

Perhaps the most amazing jutsu I've seen thus far…

The results are as impressive as the battle cry… The trunk of the 'victim' of the technique has been ground to wood chips…

There aren't any hand seals either…

Unreal

How strong **is** this guy…?

.

.

.

I wonder if Kakashi's lightning jutsu is seal-less…

\-\-\

.  
Jiraiya's POV

Thought that'd get his blood pumping…

''Stop daydreaming gaki…. ''

''Uh-….Oh-uh…Hai-sensei…''

''Good…. Now… the first step is to….''

\-\-\

.

I'm tired….

SO fucking tired…

But I can't sleep…

Must learn swirly-ball….

Dammit…

How the fuck did he pop that balloon…?

I'm sure using more chakra isn't the answer…

Hmm…

Damn… I'll have to think of something tomorrow…

I'm out of chakra…

.

.

.

.

.

I know…. It's ridiculous….

Me? Out of chakra?

Well…. that just goes to show how hard I've been working on this….

I managed to slice the balloon once…

I used more and more chakra till the water flattened into a disk and ripped the rubber…

I'm not gonna embarrass myself by bring that kinda performance before Jiraiya though.

I know my control's good enough

I'll get this….

**  
\-\-\**

It's been three days…

A very…very long three days…

But I've got it…

I've finally got it…

I just needed a bit of rotation…

I'm sure my chakra-control's improved even more just from doing this exercise…

Gotta find sensei… I hope that was the hard bit…

\-\-\

.

''Sensei…''

''What do you want brat… shouldn't you be training somewhere?''

.

\-\-\

.

Jiraiya's POV

Why do I get the feeling the brat's figured it out already…

Damn…

I hope he's just coming to ask for some tips or I'm likely to be out of research time very soon.

\-\-\

Normal POV

In response to his question I take a water-balloon in hand and show him that I've completed the exercise…

I hope he isn't going to try to slack off…

I've gotta learn that technique…

''Alright brat… you're sharp, I'll give you that… But the other two parts aren't quite as easy as what you've just done…''

I start a bit at that proclamation…

I can't spend my entire month on this…

I have research of my own to do as well as training…

It took him a year though…

But he wasn't really known as a genius was he… besides… no-one really has the amount of chakra I've got to waste on repeat attempts..

''I will succeed Jiraiya-sensei…''

''Good attitude brat. Hn……Alright, now you've got to use that same technique you just did, However, instead of a water balloon you'll be trying to pop **this**...''

Ha…

A monosyllabic laugh….

It's all I can spare at the moment…

A rubber ball….

Who does this guy think I am?

I can understand that it's harder than the balloon… but all it needs is a larger application of chakra since the ball would require more pressure to pop…

I take the ball in hand and within seconds I prove my case…

Sensei look surprised…

''How'd you do that brat? That took me fucking ages….''

.

.

I thought he'd know the answer to that already…

.

Perhaps he's just testing me…

''It was simple… All it required was more force…. More chakra…. I'm not exactly a chakra midget sensei…''

''Hahahahahaha…. Right you are brat… It's good to see that you're not just a pervert but a pervert with a sense of humour… You're an even better apprentice than I thought…''

I easily ignore the pervert jibe…

I'm too eager for the next part..

''Alright gaki…. Take this…''

''Sensei…''

A water balloon…. Again…. What the fuck…

''Easy brat… this is the finally part….''

He takes the balloon and demonstrates…

A fully formed rasengan inside…

''This is where you combined both parts you've learnt…. Rotation and power. This is the final bit….control. You must create the rotation…provide power to the jutsu to sustain, it all while keeping control…. You need the jutsu to keep shape without losing rotation or power.''

''I understand sensei…''

I do…

This is incredible…

So simple… I can't believe no one's thought of this…

The Yondaime truly was a genius ninja…

I will learn this technique…

.  
\-\-\

.

The village has been buzzing…

Something's happening…

They're trying to be discreet but they're not doing a very good job…

There's an increased ANBU/guard presence…

There's even two **jounin** at the gate….

Do they really think no one would notice these changes…?

Fools…

.  
\-\-\

.  
I can't get any info… but if I had to guess this has something to do with the sand…

Ibiki must have made that sand jounin talk…

So they **were** planning something after all…

The fools…

Even they couldn't have been so bold… They had a demon, true. But the entirety of the elemental nations knows the story of the Yondaime's defeat of the Kyuubi…strongest of all Bijuu. They expect to destroy Konoha with the weakest….

Hahahahahahaha!!

Fools…

In there weakness… being unable to control the beast themselves, they assumed it to be all-powerful.

Yet they come here and met only swift defeat.

Whatever…

I suppose its none of my business…

Well… it kinda is…

They must have some kind of help though… I doubt even they could be so silly. Konoha's still considered a major power even after the ninja war then the Kyuubi attack halving their forces…

Must have been Orochimaru… convinced the fools to attack with their demon while he most probably nabs the Uchiha…

Fool…

Doomed to failure… The Sandaime's proven himself up to task in dealing with the demon. Well… it's in containment now anyway… And what I'm sure they haven't counted on is Jiraiya-sensei being here as well… He's the strongest ninja in the village at the moment… well... not really... in raw power yeah... but i doubt he could take the old man...

While training I've been able to get a more accurate feel for his power… but its strangely distorted by some weird energy…

I **do **know though that right now, in raw power, he's the strongest in the village at the moment… only marginally more than the Sandaime and myself but greater nevertheless. He hides his power very well though…

It's no wonder he's a spymaster… If he doesn't want to be felt… he won't be. It's that simple…

Hn…

Anyways…

I better get back to training… I've nearly got it. I can't wait to see the look on the old idiot's face.

.  
\-\-\

.  
Hn… it's the pink banshee and the yellow banshee…. God they're disgusting… well... the yellow one's kinda hot...

They seem to be looking for Itachi's brother…

Too bad… he's gone off to train with the copy ninja…

I wonder if anyone would notice them missing…

.

.

Best not to risk it…

.  
\-\-\

''**RASENGAN!''**

\-\-\

Jiraiya's POV

So he's done it….

In 10 days…

Incredible.

So much power in one so young…

''Alright gaki… I believe you.''

.  
\-\-\

Normal POV

Great…

Asshole…

Can't believe he thought I'd lie about having completed the technique…

Anyways…

I feel great…. I haven't felt pride like this since I learnt Fugaku's technique…

I give my cheekiest grin…

''So sensei…. What's next?''

\-\-\

Jiraiya's POV

Well done gaki…

First time I've seen the kid look so happy.

Only happy learning new jutsu… just like Minato…

Fine…. I suppose I could teach the gaki…

I'll have to talk to Gai… it's only right afterall.

The Akatsuki's after the brat as well… he'll need every advantage I can give him if he's to protect himself against S-ranked ninja…

Brat looks a tiny bit too smug though…

I'll have to beat some humility into him as well before he gets himself killed…

''Alright brat… I'll concede this round.''

''Next…... Let me see what you can do brat...''

**  
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\**

**A/N: Yo! Another chapter…. I thought I'd have had it completed earlier but I've lost a lot of my inspiration lately. There aren't that many good stories on here anymore that I haven't already read. Damn…**

**So…**

**If anyone wants to take the 'My Idol' idea and run with it, let me know. Either that or gimme some more ideas…**

**Oh oh, before I forget… I ended the chapter there because I didn't want to have to go through everyday of his month training…. Next chapter is starting at the day of the final with one or two small flashbacks…**

**Uni's starting again soon… I'll try to at LEAST have the Chuunin exams and invasion over before then… though I could use some tips for the invasion. **

**Anyways… Read… tell me what you think.**


	9. Chapter 9

**My Idol**

Chapter 9

So…. This is it.

-

-

-

''You ready gaki…?''

''As I'll ever be Jiraiya-sensei…..''

.

.

''Good… well, you know what to do brat. Don't over do it, show enough to advance if you want to and no more…. We're gonna need your strength…''

''Hai, I understand sensei…''

-

-

\-\-\____________________________\-\-\____________________________\-\-\

.

I draw a few stares as I join the contestants up on the balcony. No doubt they're weary of me. They should be.

Neji's struggling to contain his anger…

It's as I thought, he must have learnt of my training with Jiraiya. Probably thinks fate fucked him over and is giving everyone else special treatment.

Hn… sucks to be you Neji…

Looking at the jounin-senseis it's obvious that he isn't the only one.

The looks range from measuring, to contemplative, and surprisingly dismissive….

Fools…

Only a fool would dismiss someone who showed such superior strength in the prelims and has just undergone training with a legendary ninja.

I suppose I should have expected it… it's my own fault for forgetting just what I'm dealing with in this village.

Hn.

Training…. Wow, training…

It made every difference.

I'm back to not having a clue how strong I am.…. It's a good feeling…

All the fucking pseudo-measuring I was getting into… Waste of time. Thank god Jiraiya managed to get that out of me.

The folly…..

Genin, Chuunin, high-Chuunin, low-Jounin… all rubbish, figments of my imagination and liable to get me killed.

Sensei says the only ranks that give any kind of decent estimation anymore are bingo book ranks…. And even they're not so accurate anymore; they lack a lot of information.

Trying to gauge my strength as high-Chuunin or low-jounin was met with a harsh laugh from the legendary ninja…

According to Jiraiya sensei I'm stronger than quite a few jounin he knows and weaker than quite a few Chuunin…

Those ranks are more for chain of command than anything else, though there definitely is a difference in strength in most cases.

He drew reference to my incredible speed which I embarrassingly labelled as jounin-level, until he asked me to name all the jounin I know for a fact are as fast as I am…

After Gai-sensei and the copy ninja I was at a loss…

.  
And it became clear…

.  
There's no official jounin-level or Chuunin-level for things like speed, Genjutsu, taijutsu and ninjutsu….

.

There's ninjutsu specialist like myself and Kakashi, Genjutsu like that sexy brunette what's-her-name… taijutsu specialist like Gai, but there are jounin completely rubbish in some areas that are still jounin. There are some Chuunin ANBU who specializes in assassination and jounin ANBU who only know sabotage or infiltration. Of course there are loads of other examples; elite teachers like Ebisu who's students usually make it to jounin and that swordsman… what's his na-….Hayate… yeah him.

So I've got my focus back… ninja is ninja, in a serious battle overestimate every opponent. Things I already knew, but now that I've got a teacher it's… different… you know what I mean?

Well… whatever…

And now I'm Jiraiya's full apprentice…

I've gotta admit he's grown on me a bit. I blame his literary genius. He is a …strange… yet undeniably effective teacher. I can see how he fostered the Yondaime's genius. I haven't had  
time to discuss any of my side interests like seals with him but we only had a month, there's enough time for that in future.

.

.

\-\-\

.

The stadium's filling up quickly, the time's drawing near and I can't help but felt a bit of nervous anticipation.

I no longer care too deeply for Chuunin promotion but I'm anticipating today's….. 'festivities' greatly; the past month has given a lot of perspective…

_.  
Flashback_

''_Ignore them brat…. How will you stand up to interrogation if you can't ignore a few sneering civilians?''_

'_Hn'_

_  
I send a brief spike of ki at some cabbage wielding fool about to assault me._

_  
A vendor vs. a ninja. These fools get more delusional everyday._

.

'' _You'd best learn to control that temper of yours as well…''_

''_Sensei?''_

''_Whatever anti-Konoha sentiments you have, you'd best lose or at least temper them.''_

''…''

''_Your situation isn't as unique as you seem to think brat,''_

''_Well… in a way it is…''_

''_I don't understand sensei…''_

''_Course you don't brat, you've yet to see the world… ''_

''_Jinchuuriki…'' I flinch slightly at the word… Since I've come to find what it means… It makes me feel like a …thing. _

''_-ha's probably the…. Are you even listening brat?''_

''_Hai, hai. Sorry sensei…''_

''_Hn, well I was saying that your situation's not unique in the sense that the Bijuu have been sealed before, well except for the Kyuubi…''_

''_But Hokage-sama said not much is known about the Bijuu…''_

''_And he's right gaki… Not much of what I know is common knowledge… besides, things such as that are understandably kept well hidden… or are lost to obscurity.''_

''_Hmm…''_

''_Yes well, anyways brat. The demons have been sealed before, but usually to be used as weapons…. That's where your situation is unique; the Kyuubi was sealed out of necessity and desperation. No matter what you might think brat, what was done had to be done, you're lucky your seal is that strong. The Yondaime could have used a weaker seal that would have spared his life but may have been unstable and would need to be reinforced often. The demon may have been able to torment you as well…''_

_._

_._

_Ok… but what am I supposed to say to that…_

.

''_Anyways brat, that's hardly the point…. What I'm trying to say to you is. Jinchuuriki have been created before but as weapons. Your sealing might not have been done with such a sinister purpose in mind but you could easily have led such a life, there are many who would have seen you become a mindless, perfectly conditioned war machine…. The old man spared you that, he may have been able to do more but, sensei, he's always been a bit soft when off the battle field.''_

_Yeah, you got that right…. Kumo disrespected us and the old fool gave them a Hyuuga._

''_But he's protected you from a lot of things you don't know about gaki. Don't be too hard on him. Forget the hatred and the way people treat you, Jinchuuriki are usually hated anyway, its not a 'Konoha' thing, I can assure you. You'd have been hated equally as fervently, worse in some cases, anywhere else, once people knew about the demon being sealed. Its human nature to hate what they don't understand. Now, I'm not going to give you some moving speech about how things will get better, they might, but they might not. What I'm saying to you brat is that there are people that will hate you regardless of what you do. In Iwa they would hate you for looking like the Yondaime Hokage, blonde hair and blue eyes. I know you've probably got some big plans in that big head of yours but I only hope that they don't cross with the well being of Konoha…''_

_.._

_Fuck…_

_.._

''_I'd hate to have to take you out brat…. But if you cross the line I'll have no choice but to do what's best for Konoha…''_

_.._

_Double fuck…_

_.._

''_I understand you were seeking answers in the old man's office that day but you need to watch what you say and do brat, you're only a step away from being considered a flight risk. You're a recluse; hidden training sessions, odd silences; you bleed killing intent when angry. The only thing that's saved you thus far from those that would spy on you, sabotage you and see you a mindless weapon or dead is the old man.''_

''_I don't need pity sen-''_

''_Shut up and listen! You might not want or need pity but pity's been keeping you safe for a long time now. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You're a ninja… Lose the pride brat, if the old man pity's and his guilt over your situation didn't make him blind to the more suspicious things about you you'd already be dead. Your dream is to become a great ninja… then become a great ninja… Konoha's produced many a great ninja and there are many here that could help you on your way… I... I like you brat. You remind me a lot of my old student. That's the only reason I'm even saying anything to you. Make sure I never have to hear anything about you gaki. There isn't a place in the elemental nations you can hide from me.''_

_._

_Damn… _

_Ok he's looking at me… _

_I should probably stop thinking now; I probably look like I'm plotting…_

_I am pretty suspicious aren't I…?_

_Fuck_

_Erm…. ''Hai-sensei, I… I'll take your words into consideration. Arigatou.''_

''_Hmm… Good to hear brat…'' that stare's making me really uncomfortable…._

''_Don't look so tense brat, I know I'm pretty intimidating but I'm not gonna kill you…''_

_Not yet anyway…_

_I suppose this is his idea of levity…_

_I hardly feel reassured… there was no veiled threat in that speech I just received. The message was as clear as day. He's unsure about me and prepared to 'take me out' should I prove to be untrustworthy… he's probably not gonna teach me anything good until he feels like he could trust me a bit more…_

_If I fuck up now, it's over for me. I'll have achieved nothing…_

_I suppose he's right in a sense though…. Besides…. There's more than enough time to ponder such things… I didn't plan on doing anything extreme for a while yet anyways…_

_I've probably got 3-4 more years before the old man gives up the job and chooses a Godaime… _

_I just hope my luck doesn't run out before then…_

_I know I'd be alright if he chose Jiraiya… at least he 'likes' me somewhat. It's a weird relationship we share, I just hope he isn't a sicko…._

…

…

_.._

_Well…._

_Hope he's not a Paedophile…. There's no chance of Jiraiya __**not **__being a sicko…_

_._

_That little speech though…. It came out of nowhere…_

_I'm confused about the timing. I mean, he could have confronted me before even teaching me to summon._

_This bares some serious contemplation. Plans have to be put on hold._

''_I'm…. a bit… shaken sensei… it's a lot to take in. I'll do my best not to disappoint you.''_

''_Yeah you do that brat….''_

''_Besides, there's lots of chance for you to make a name for yourself….''_

_.._

''_Don't look so surprised brat I've been around for a long time. I know your type, always something to prove…. ''_

_.._

_Well, I gotta admit that I'd like to make a name for myself… preferably strongest ninja in the world… but that's not my ultimate objective…_

_My capacity…_

''_Back in my time most ninja made a name for themselves in the wars… That brings me to something else I wanted to talk to you about… Unfortunately… or fortunately for you brat you might just get your chance…''_

_._

_Flashback end_

War is coming…

I'm ready…

-

-

-

\-\-\

The copy ninja and his prized student aren't here yet. I suppose its no surprise. He's probably preparing the kid not to get mauled by Lee…

I'm not sure how much difference it'll make; he's only had a month… though a month of training/copying, one sharingan user to another… especially one who's copied over a thousand techniques….

Lee better be ready.

Though I'm sure Gai-sensei's been drilling his anti-sharingan fighting techniques into Lee over the past month, I only hope its enough.

Ten-ten…

''Hey Naruto….''

''Uh….hey….''

''So…. Are you ready? How's your month been, I heard you got someone to train you….''

''Uh, yeah. I happened to find someone by chance and they've been helping a bit…'' a few of the eavesdroppers around us look at me incredulously at that…

Best not tell her it's Jiraiya… I can't take any begging about meeting Tsunade.

From what Jiraiya's said about her it's not likely to happen.

''Oh….ok. So are you worried about Neji?''

''….''

Now it's my turn to look incredulous…

Ok…. Jiraiya-sensei's lectures about underestimation run through my head briefly and I take a second to consider…

Well…. Neji **is** a genius I suppose, no doubt could have been nearly as strong as myself if he wasn't limited like most Hyuuga are…

He has most assuredly made improvements over the month.

But see that's the thing…. It's not my arrogance that's got me unworried…

It's the Hyuuga limiting….

Their techniques are fairly well known, and while deadly, no doubt about that at all, there haven't been any additions to the Hyuuga jutsu repertoire in over a decade…. that's just….  
Stupid.

Though I suppose Hyuuga Hiashi invented the Kaiten and Neji being vaunted as a greater prodigy could have invented something himself…

Highly unlikely.

Neji's not that difficult to understand… he's a kid who feels like he's been fucked over….

Well…

He **has **been fucked over….

But he's still very predictable….

Despite any hatred he harbours for the 'main house' he's got that Hyuuga pride the same as the rest of them. He's proud to be a Hyuuga, he still thinks that Hyuuga are superior to others, that's part of the reason he hates that girl… she completely fucks over the whole 'Hyuuga superiority' thing.

But I digress…

Neji's predictable…

This is a grand stage… everyone's here… his uncle's here…

His way of 'sticking it to the main house' is to show them that he's the perfect Hyuuga and to have them despair over the fact that he cannot be clan heir despite his immense talents…

No doubt he's mastered as many Hyuuga techniques as he could over the period… and I know for a fact that he's mastered the Kaiten, I mean, what kind of ninja would I be if I didn't spy on the people I'm supposed to fight.

This brings me back to exactly why I'm unworried…

Even if he's mastered **every** Hyuuga technique…. I'm already prepared for them… I already know what they are and I have a few ideas for countering the 'un-counterable'.

''Ok so maybe that wasn't such a great question. You're never worr-''

''Tenten…. It's ok. But no… I'm not worried. And no I'm not being overconfident…''

.

.

.

.

A little semi-awkward silence has settled between us….

.

.

I hate this…

.

.

''So…er… are you ready for Shikamaru?''

She seems surprised…

It's understandable… I'm surprised.

''Uh…yeah, yeah…. Well…. I dunno…. I thought about what you said. He's supposed to be really smart and good at tricking people….''

''That's ok…. He's got one major weakness that offsets his massive deduction skills…''

''A weakness… what is it? Couldn't you have told me this a month ago!?''

'' … I did….. If you were listening carefully that day…. Shikamaru's lazy…. It shows in his poor body conditioning…. You need to beat him before he can think. It may sound overly simple but its not… because he thinks really…really quickly… you need to take him outta the game early…''

Shikamaru's sensei gives me a dirty look at my 'advice'.

Who cares…?

Fuck him…

''Uh..oh… Ok.''

''Err… Thanks Na-''

''NARUTO-KUN! TENTEN!''

''Lee, sensei…''

''Hey Lee, Gai-sensei''

''TENTEN, NARUTO, LEE, ARE YOU READY TO DISPLAY THE WILL OF FIRE!''

The will of fire hmm… Tenten and even Lee straighten up.

We're ready. I won't embarrass you, Gai-sensei, Jiraiya-sensei.

''Hai sensei…''

''Hai Gai-sensei''

''YOSH, GAI-SENSEI I WILL NOT FAIL!''

-

-

Err…ok

I feel like I should say something….

It's kind of awkward. The whole new sensei thing.

But then again this is Gai-sensei we're talking about; I **could **get away with not saying anything.

-

But I **should** say something, it's more respectful. He's one of the few people I always have and always will respect; I think he deserves that courtesy.

Not here though…

Too many eavesdroppers…

\-\-\

Looks like the Hokage's here.

It must be some sort of sick joke that they're letting Kankuro take part in these finals…

And here's the ….Kazekage???

WHAT THE FUCK?!

Ok…

No-one else seems too surprised…

What am I missing here…?

I know most of these genin don't know. Probably couldn't be trusted to act normally…

But why let the Kazekage into the village knowing the script… he's sure to cause a lot of unnecessary casualty. Though I suppose if he couldn't beat Gaara he must not be as strong as the legendary Sandaime Kazekage.

Still though….

We know about Suna through the interrogation of Baki…

He's one of their strongest jounin but he's dead now thankfully.

They know about Baki's arrest and being ninja's should already have guessed his subsequent interrogation…

If that wasn't enough, the buzzing in the village and beefed up security over the past few weeks should have made it as clear as day, so its likely they know.

So…. We know. They know…. They know that we know. And we know…that they know that we know????

God I hate this politics shit…

Ok…

So this is some kind of ruse…

Everyone knows the script… but for the safety of the delegates and I suppose the image of the village or some other such crap we have to act as if nothing's happening. It would damage a ninja village's reputation irreparably to have to call off an exam because they were scared. The unworried, super-power Konoha image is a psychological blow to the enemy as well I suppose…

There's just so much shit going on… Why do kages even bother with all this shit?

Though I must admit, the whole subterfuge thing's got me a little excited… but there are just too many things that could go wrong in a situation like this.

I could see myself being more of a 'destroy all my enemies immediately' type of Hokage.

Ha… that'd be a laugh…

Me… Hokage.

The village pariah…

-

-

Almost makes me want the title….

.

.

Naaaaaa….

Fuck that…

Only war could get a kage from behind that desk… That's just not me…

Jiraiya-sensei's living the life…. Travelling around the world…

If I can get a deal similar to that it'd be great.

Freedom…. With pay…

Damn…

That'd be aw-

''-rst match up, Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuuga Neji''

Looks like this is it.

Let the games begin….  
-

.  
\-\-\

.  
.

.

''-no choice''

So this is it huh…

''No matter how ma-''

The Chuunin exam finals…

''Fate has already d-''

After this guy I'm likely to have to fight Lee…

''-th as well give up f-''

No…that's not right… I'll have to fight the Uchiha…

''….''

Something's not right…

Wait…

Oh…

The silence…

So the fool's finally finished with his monologue.

Looks like he doesn't like being ignored…

Look at him…

Quivering…

Like he's about to throw a tantrum…

Fuck do I care you loser…

''Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuuga Neji….HAJIME!''

I leap back a bit…

I know how bad an idea it is to stay within range of a Juuken user.

He's looking a bit smug…

Probably takes my precaution as weariness…

I'm leaping back in a naïve attempt to escape his Hyuuga might…

What a fool…

-

-

-

-  
-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

I can do this all day….

A ninja is patient…. I'm more than willing to wait him out…

-

-

Score one for me… he's given in… he's so juvenile…

A hail of shuriken comes rushing toward me but I stand my ground and deflect them deftly with kunai.

What does he take me for?

An amateur?

I'm not about to be manoeuvred into position.

Seeing as that's not going to work he comes rushing towards me…

Quickly…

…

Really quickly…

I narrowly escape a strike to the head…

The temple to be more precise…

-

-

This bastard's actually trying to kill me…

A few back-flips momentarily take me out of range and gives me a second to get my bearings together…

You really are a genius Neji… to have improved your speed so much in a month…

Truly remarkable…

Slight problem though…

I'm much…

Much…

Faster.

And with that I start on the offensive…

I take a page out of Neji's book and send a flurry of shuriken but by the time he swerves and ducks outta the way I'm already in his face. Uppercut to the jaw sends him sprawling but not before feeling two light taps on my forearm…

Great reflexes…

Two sealed tenketsu's hardly gonna stop me though and I follow up my assault with a jutsu invented by the professor himself

''**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!''**

He does as I expect as shuriken numbering a hundred rush towards him..

There's a faint flicker of a chakra dome before he begins his rotation.

''**Hakkeshou Kaiten!'' **

Truly an impressive technique but it reminds me of the Inuzuka…

Ninja wire goes streaming towards the young prodigy and then…

..

..

..

Glances off his defence…

..

..

Well… there goes that idea.

I suppose I should have known that that wouldn't work.

His rotating body is protected by a dome of energy…

Silly me…

''What do you take me for. Your cheap tricks won't work here… Your fate has been sealed since the moment I was chosen as your opponent. Th-''

I wonder who's vainer…

This guy or Jiraiya-sensei…

-

-

This guy truly believes he's the greatest shinobi ever…

No…like really…

He truly believes it…

He's huffing again…

Doesn't like the bored look on my face I suppose….

He rushes toward me once more…

Come and get it…

A little more…

That's it…

I can hear a few people wondering out loud why I'm not moving…

''**Ninpo: Hari Jizo''**

With that my hair straightens giving the appearance of magical growth and hardens to needles…

The needle guardian…

One of Jiraiya-sensei's more genius inventions for fighting taijutsu specialists…

After getting his dainty little hands punctured Neji-chan jumps back and scowls…

A cute little pout almost like he's accusing me of cheating…

We're ninja loser… that was ninjutsu… get over it…

My hair retracts, surprisingly neatly as well… and my danger senses are now tingling something ridiculous…

''Checkmate… You are within range of my divination…''

Fuck no…

''**Ni sho…''**

I barely side step two strikes aimed at my chest…

''**Yon sho''**

I feel like the world's greatest fool as the fourth strike hits me in the chest…

''**Hachi sho''**

I manage to avoid three of eight but the hits I've taken seem to have damaged my mobility a bit.

''**Juuroku sho''**

This time I'm a bit faster but 8 strikes still get past my defence of dodging and deflection.

''**Sanjuu Ni sho''**

My mobility's shot from the last eight and I can do nothing as all sixteen strikes hit their mark…

''**Rokujuu Yon sho!''**

The last of the strikes and they hurt like fuck!

I'm sent sailing a few meters away but even the dust in my ear can't block out the sounds of the crowd going wild…

I forgot none of these civilians saw me in the prelims… so their not surprised that I'm hit…

They're glad that the demon's losing…

And it pisses me off something awful…

It's my own fault…

Being hit by that fucking technique…. I knew of it…

But I really didn't think he'd know it… or that it'd be so fast…

It's a terribly efficient technique…

I can see why the Hyuuga are considered fearsome…

There's only one thing wrong with using a technique like that on a ninja like me…

-

-

-

-

It's not lethal…

-

As I leap from the jaws of defeat… quite literally

Ol'Neji looks disbelieving… all smugness is gone from his look…

It's appropriate…

.

.

All playfulness and boredom is gone from mine…

.

I nearly embarrassed my two sensei's… one of them legendary…

Because I fucked about…

Any chance Neji had is gone now…

You should have killed me….

.

.

I'm done playing...

Mid-leap I throw some kunai with shuriken mixed in…

He jumped…

But I wanted him to…

A half seal later and a clone appears in his shadow…

Hyuuga can't see below them… and they never bother to look…

The clone takes towards him in the air as I rush forward forcing the bastard into a mid-air Kaiten to deflect us both….

.

.

That was only the beginning you prick…

Both 'myself' and the clone disappear in puffs of smoke as two arms burst out of the ground and pull dear old Neji under…

He looks bewildered… then pissed as I press a knife to his throat…

No… it's not a kunai…

It really is a knife…

Been in the habit of carrying one since I was a kid…

-

-

Hoodlum…

.

.

''Yield… or die…''

.

The Hyuuga pride predictably rears its head as the bastard refuses to give up…

Oh well…

I warned him…

''Hyuuga Neji is unable to continue… Winner Uzumaki Naruto!''

It seems the proctor read my intentions… Cunt …

Fuck this shit man…

A quick shushin and I'm gone…

.

.

\-\-\

.

.

.

FUCK!

I blew it…

Damn this fucking tree is lumpy…

But fuck it…

I know I should probably be in their having a celebratory back-patting with my team but my mood's gone to hell after that match…

What the FUCK was I thinking…?

I won… but it feels like I lost…

I was tempted to show off some of my stronger techniques… most notably the rasengan… but Jiraiya-sensei warned me… and I thought Neji would have been easy pickings…

I suppose he was…in a sense…

But FUCK

I've got a lot of expectations to live up to now…

I'm the student of the Green beast and the toad sage, two fucking great shinobi….

The carelessness I displayed in getting caught with that attack surely fucked any chance I had of becoming Chuunin…

Itachi wouldn't have been hit by that technique…

Fuck…

Jiraiya-sensei…. Gai-sensei…

But I won though….

Right…

That fuckin Hyuuga prick… I should have killed him as soon as the match started…

It wouldn't have won me any favours…

Well… maybe that cowardly cousin of his would thank me…

.

.

Like Kira thanked master Ji in Icha Icha: Hero

.

.

.…

.

.

.

It's a mistake I won't make again…

Lee or Uchiha Sasuke….. makes no difference…. They're going down hard and fast…

-

-

I'm sorry Lee…

\-\-\

I arrive only to silence…

No one approaches me… not even my team.

Could be the insane amount of palpable murder in the air…

Someone has to pay for my humiliation.

I can't wait till this farce is over… My one and only chance of promotion depends almost entirely on my performance later today in the attack.

'_Have patience gaki… one day the world will know your name...'_

No sensei… they'll know my name TODAY.

\-\-\

''tch up Rock Lee vs. Uchiha Sasuke''

And the crowd goes wild…

It's no surprise… Uchiha Sasuke's a fucking hero in this village, if only for surviving…

But where the fuck is he….

Kakashi that late bastard…

Fuck it… No matter…

Makes no difference to me…

Hn.

-

-

-

-

So they've awarded the Uchiha extra time…. What a 'surprise'.

I fucking hate this place…

-

-

Well, I suppose in a sense it makes for good entertainment…

But sometimes I feel as though it'd make for better firewood…

\-\-\

Now it's Kankuro vs. Shino…

Funnily enough they both look excited…

Well… as excited as any Aburame could look I suppose.

One would think Kankuro would be trying to conserve his strength… But it seems underneath it all he's still a boy… Looking for some blood in exchange for his family's humiliation.

I suppose he probably has something to prove to his father as well…

Oh well, who gives a fuck... entertain me Sabaku…

-

-

\-\-\

Nice tactic…

Using the puppet as a decoy… would have been impressive is we HADN'T ALREADY SEEN IT!

For fuck's sake, I hope my match wasn't this bad…

As if an Aburame would fall for such a trick anyways…

-

-

Swarm of chakra sucking bugs, wow… 'shocking'.

-

-

This is lame…

.

.

I'm getting the fuck outta here…

.

\-\---- Wait…

Now THAT was pretty impressive….

How many hidden weapons does he carry around in that thing…?

It'll be something to watch for during the invasion…

The medics are running on the field only for the 'Aburame' to disperse into a swarm of bugs…

Ok so maybe it isn't THAT lame…

Now they're both engaging in a fairly one sided taijutsu match…

Poor form old boy…

Taijutsu match? With someone who just showed you they're a master of concealed weapons…

This is lame again…

I'm just waiting for the stab…

For bug boy to find himself the victim of a Suna made poison… I heard it'd take someone of Tsunade's calibre to cure at least a quarter of them…

Here it is…

And the blade stops short…

What the fuck…

''WHAT THE FUCK?!''

It seems Kankuro shares my sentiments…

Then he just drops to his knees….

His sweaty brow, limp limbs and haggard breathing give me the answer even before Shino starts explaining in that boring monotone drawl…

He realised that the insect swarm would be expected so he used close range fighting to slip the bugs onto Kankuro a little at a time…

I suppose the bugs either blocked or fucked the release mechanism for his blade and then drained him dry when there were enough of them to get the job done quickly enough to leave him no chance….

Pretty good…

I think even I would have been caught with that one…

Well… not really…

A taijutsu match between me and Shino would have been over real quick…

''YOSH! THAT WAS A MOST GLORIOUS MATCH! I CAN'T WAIT TO FIGHT YOU AND UCHIHA SASUKE, NARUTO-KUN!''

Fuck…

-

-

I've clamed down visibly and everyone wants to take the opportunity to 'be friends again'.

-

Not a moment's peace

-

-

\-\-\

.

.

Here comes the copycat ninja….

A bit earlier than I expected, but then, I suppose he knows what's at stake today.

A bit silly really, to be late at all on a day like today.

-

Hn…whatever…

-

-

As long as I do as I must….

\-\-\

.

Rock Lee vs. Uchiha Sasuke…

Finally…

\-\-\

Great… here's the genius of hard work defeat genius speech….

Lee, I think you gave him that one already…

I suppose this is how Lee gets himself psyched up…

This one's not going to be nearly as easy as when you beat him before Lee… I just hope you realise that.

The kid's got a lot of talent, especially ninjutsu talent…. Kakashi could have done anything in that month.

\-\-\

.

''Rock Lee vs. Uchiha Sasuke, Hajime!''

Now they're standing apart… sizing each other up…

Seems like the Uchiha isn't taking any chances…

Lee looks like he's about to say something but then has to dodge quickly as a kunai knicks his eyebrow…

Fast….

He's forced to dodge again as a windmill shuriken comes screaming towards him…

The kids got a bit of power…

Lee ducks easily but it seems there was a second one in its shadow….

Shit….

Lee pivots on his hand and with a show of speed and surprising dexterity launches himself between the gap of the two shuriken towards the surprised Uchiha…

Nice one Lee…

He's about to get up close and personal with Sasuke-chan when he suddenly….. disappears?

No… he's running… but damn… Sasuke-chan's pretty fast…

Fuck me… he's almost as fast as Lee…

A spin kick to the head from Sasuke is blocked easily… it seems he's forgotten exactly who, was the inspiration for his newfound speed…

''You are truly a genius Uchiha Sasuke… to achieve such speed in only a month while it took me many years to become as fast as I am…''

''Fool… That is because no technique is out of the reach of an Uchiha…''

Big talk Sasuke-chan… what's with this stupid village and all the 'clan-pride'.

Though I suppose if I had a clan…. Errr…. Na.

Imagine being like this prick…or Neji…

-

Itachi had a clan though…

-

-

But he was born cool…

-

-

Hn..

-

-

The Uchiha and Lee jump apart…

-

And then there's a dash… unsurprising…

The last time he fought Lee he was humiliated... I suppose his pride demands that he be able to hold his own against Lee in taijutsu…

It's a beautiful sight…

Lightning quick punches, kicks and expert blocks are being traded... and the civilians screaming for their Uchiha can't even see if he's winning or losing…

Fools…

You'd need a whole lot of chakra training…

You see at that speed, Sasuke and I suppose Itachi, would be unique in that they could actually see what's going on….

For the rest of us Sharingan-less mortals it's only a partial sight/partial sense… when one becomes good enough and their senses are well honed, they could eventually develop the acuity to achieve something closer to actual sight…

I'm nearly there myself….

I think Ji-

A loud boom rocks the arena as Uchiha Sasuke and Lee raise the stakes…

I've only just noticed it, but it seems the Uchiha is copying Lee's taijutsu as he uses it… to be able to assimilate it into his own style so quickly is nothing short of remarkable…

Must be the 'Itachi' gene in the family…

There's only one problem for young Sasuke though, as he's about to find out…

Though he's only marginally slower than Lee, an advantage the sharingan negates by allowing him to accurately track every move Lee makes, he only achieved this speed recently… and through chakra enhancement as well…

Lee been this fast for a while… and doesn't use chakra… in terms of endurance Lee still dwarfs this guy completely… A battle of attrition is useless…

Lee punches then pivots on his heel, twist, then comes round swinging with the other arm catching the Uchiha in the jaw…. The blow staggers him but he's not down yet…

He jumps away to put some distance between Lee and himself before dashing forward… disappearing…. And attempting the leaf shadow dance?

What is this kid an idiot… surely he realises that Lee can defend against this…

As he reappears under Lee's guard the kick to Lee's chin is blocked lazily…

The Uchiha smirks… there's a slight buzz and Lee suddenly jumps away looking like he's been burnt…

What the fuck just happened… I didn't see any fire jutsu…

Lee looks curious as well… but Uchiha's decided not to talk…

Bastard…

Kakashi looks proud…

Gai-sensei looks like he knows exactly what happened…

''SO KAKASHI! IT SEEMS YOUR STUDENT HAS A LIGHTNING AFFINITY JUST AS YOU DO! HE IS ABLE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY FLOWING THROUGH HIS BODY. AS EXPECTED OF MY RIVAL AND HIS STUDENT!!! LEE, SHOW HIM YOUR-''

Ok so that's what happened…. I tune out the rest of Gai-s rant... So the Uchiha has started learning lightning manipulation. A surprising affinity considering how strong of one he's got with fire… Damn… I need to stop being surprised like this…

Its official… my edge is gone…

Lee seems oddly contemplative…

The Uchiha's having none of it… '' I'm tired of playing with you… there's nothing else you can teach me...''

So this whole taijutsu match was just learning experience… can't fault him… I'd have done the same with his eyes... smart kid.

''**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!''**

Lee dodges the fireball easy but it seems he's just been tricked into jumping….

''**Katon: Hosenka no jutsu!'' **

Dozens of fireballs rain on Lee and as expected he takes a few hits…

It's nearly impossible to manoeuvre yourself whilst in the air without some kind of chakra augmentation, which Lee, sadly lacks… Fuck…

The front of Lee's spandex is blackened but not completely burnt… It seems Gai-sensei does have **some **common sense afterall….

Lee looks like he's about to pound the Uchiha into the ground…

I don't blame him… Lee's a guy who's been put down more than once about now being able to use ninjutsu… Now here standing in front of him is a ninjutsu genius… even his old rival Neji used mostly taijutsu, as do I when we fight, but we've got a friendly rivalry I suppose… whereas Uchiha Sasuke just told the guy 'I'm done playing with you'…ouch…

I-

Wait its seems that while Lee's been glowering Uchiha Sasuke's been widening the distance between them… makes sense... his psychical stamina's nowhere near Lee's….

Looks like its ninjutsu from here on out…

Co-

Ooooh….

Its getting pretty windy…

The dust around Lee-the-non-chakra-user is swirling which paints a clear picture to those who know….

Gai… Kakashi… myself… Some of the elder shinobi are surprised as well… must have been a while since someone mastered the gates…

''**Shomon: Kai!''**

**  
\-\-\**

.

Now its getting crazy…. The Uchiha's like 'what the fuck?!'…

Its classic…

I bet he can see the chakra with his eyes but can't tell how to do the technique….sorry bitch… you can't copy this…

Lee disappears… he's abo….u…t……t-to….lay the smac-……w—ait…

Why t-the fuck am I so tired? Are those feathers.…?

'Kai'

I turn slowly and sure enough the entire arena is covered in falling feathers and I sense exactly where the chakra is coming from… Kabuto…. In ANBU gear no less…

Genjutsu… it's started….

Stage1: evacuate the delegates… but I'm too strong to be wasted on such a task… Jiraiya sensei told me to put on a show….

.

Ninja descend upon the Kazekage only to be pushed back by some form of wind technique… He grabs old man Hokage and jumps to the roof top…

Fool… if he couldn't beat Gaara he has no chance against the shinobi no Kami…

.

It's time to stop stalling… this is it… make or break… a ninja disguised as ANBU runs toward me…

.

And so began the legend of Uzumaki Naruto

.

.

\-\-\

Shinobi from Oto and Suna start pouring over the walls…

A couple of them look confused by their number till transformation techniques disperse leaving about 10 of their number replaced by Konoha ANBU…

Needless to say, a few of them are cut down almost immediately…

Time to go to work…

A guy comes at me with a sword but a kunai should suffice…

I block, parry then stab the fool in the neck…

Don't fuck with me…

I jump over the banister and into the fray…

With speeds most would be hard pressed to match I start cutting through invaders one after the other…

Like a man possessed…. I stab one dude in the eye, then I pick him up an throw him into the oncoming Chuunin…

They're trained ninja… as expected... they're not caught. Two kunai wrapped with explosive tags follow, blowing off one guy's legs and catapulting another a few yards from my position…

Gimme space…

'_In war gaki, if you can psyche out your enemy, make them utterly terrified of you, before you even fight you've won.'_

Thanks sensei…

I picked up the severed leg by the exposed bone and get to work…

One guy gets the beating of his life with the limb of his comrade before I turn to another and stab him straight in the throat with the sharp bone protruding from the leg.

It gets me some attention… but not enough…

'**DOTON: YUMI NOMA!'**

The earth becomes a swamp beneath the enemy's feet… I've managed to trap only five despite the impressively large swap I've conjured…

Oh well…

Those five receive slit throats that cease their suffering….

I see despair mixed with the anger in some of their eyes… its working…

.

\-\-\

.

I've noticed a couple people have paused to look at me… makes me feel special…

I'm not done yet, **'Katon: Kaensenpuu!'**

My lungs expel a massive flame that circles the enemy before becoming a searing tornado of death…

Die…

The screams are like music to my ears as men stop fighting to gape at the giant flaming whirlwind…

Thank you Uchiha Fugaku…

Everyone's st-

A massive CRASH in the distance steals my thunder… the walls are under attack…

And there's a giant fucking three-headed snake heading towards the gate…

I know Jiraiya sensei is there but I'm sure he'll understand… I need this…

\-\-\

I arrive at the gate and it's in a word…chaos…

There a skirmishes everywhere, though the leaf seems to be holding it own…

Where the fuck is sensei?

A guy tries to sneak up behind me but he's just not good enough… I grab the offending wrist before the kunai touches my neck and I snap it…

The guy cradles his arm instead of staying alert…

It's just a boo-boo, come here bitch, mommy kiss it better…

I flip through seals and pucker up…

'**Fūton: Rekuudan'**

The wind bullet whistles through the air before snapping what's left of the arm off completely… For some strange reason his screams sound remarkably like 'thanks mommy'

Your welcomed baby…

-

\-\-\

**  
-**

The earth shaking violently grabs my attention…

Sensei's here… and he's destroyed the snake as well it seems…

Damn…

When the fuck am I gonna get to show off Gamabunta then…

.

\-\-\

.

''Jiraiya-sama! Jiraiya-sama's here!''

Any morale the enemy had is gone…. A few turn and run immediately…

I can't wait till my name does that…

I land beside him... I know he's sensed me but he doesn't give any reaction to confirm it….

The other ninja… Ibiki seems surprised to see me though…

''Sensei…''

''What are you doing here gaki… this is no time for games, didn't I tell you to hold your position at the arena?''

''Hai sensei... the enemy in the arena is more or less neutralised…''

He gives me a measuring stare… and then a proud pat on the head…

It's demeaning but damn if it doesn't feel good…

''Good job brat… alright then. Most of the enemy outside of Konoha's been routed by attack squads, we had sufficient notice to make sure that very few even got in…What we need to do now gaki is find my old friend Orochimaru whilst sen-''

''Jiraiya-sama!!''

''What is it.?''

I've never seen ANBU behave like this…

''Jiraiya-sama, Hokage-sama's fighting Orochimaru!''

''What?! Where is the Kazekage?''

''The Kazekage was Orochimaru in disguise Jiraiya-sama, Orochimaru has killed the Kazekage…f-''

''The old man might be old but he's still as strong as the best of them… he'll be able to hold Orochimaru till we get there…''

''There's a barrier Jiraiya-sama… Anyone who tries to get through is killed instantly…''

''Show me...''

Old man…

.

.

\-\-\

.

I can't believe this shit….

What an intense fight…

Truly a master of ninjutsu…

Sensei's having a look at the barrier and trying to think of a way through, meanwhile, the old man's not doing too badly…

Orochimaru's done some sort of immortality jutsu to make himself young forever… what a guy…

It's too bad for him though that it doesn't help him against the old man… he's so…so strong… Its one of those moments where you realise just how far you have to go… he knows over a thousand jutsu… he combines them… its fucking amazing…

Orochimaru invented a fucking immortality jutsu…

I'm nothing…

I'm still nothing…

Jiraiya sensei misinterprets my dour look… ''Cheer up brat… I'll find a way to bring this thing down… besides, sensei isn't doing too badly for himself…''

Whatever…. This battle totally dwarfs anything I did today…

Orochimaru's turned to face us…

Looking as creepy as always…

''I'm glad you're here Jiraiya…''

''Wish I could say the same for you teme…''

''Still so childish…. And I see you've found yourself a new apprentice…. The Kyuubi child…''

A couple of the ANBU look at me startled whist I just raise an eyebrow..

''Forget the games teme… he already knows about the Kyuubi''

Orochimaru looks a me mildly surprised…

''So you know boy…. And you still fight for this village...''

I hear Jiraiya growl besides me… I know one of his greatest fears is that I'd one day go rogue…

''Who should I fight for Orochimaru? You….? Will you promise me power like you promised the Uchiha…''

He looks surprised… so, he didn't sense me afterall…

A couple others look surprised at this revelation as well…

''Don't waste your breath Orochimaru, there's nothing for you here…. I care only for my own power… You think you could tempt me with your paltry power when then staggering power of the Kyuubi couldn't?''

Oooh I love the hatred glowering in those eyes…. Like a young boy with his toys taken away… I just dissed an S-rank criminal to his face…. Hi-five!

''You insolent little rat…. It's a shame you think that way, no matter, Uchiha Sasuke will come to me for power, and that is all I need, to even think I would be interested in an orphan gutter rat like you when the power of the Uchiha could be mine..''

Ok, so he's trying to hit me where it hurts….

And I'll be honest… it hurts…

I'll never give him the satisfaction of seeing it though…

But I made a new silent goal in that moment… Orochimaru would die at my hand…. Painfully…

''Still a paedo eh Orochi-teme….''

''Still a fool Jiraiya…''

''**Doton: Doryuuheki'' **

Ha, idiot…

Ignoring the professor in the middle of a battle to have small talk….

That's a pretty impressive jutsu….

Orochi-teme's body dissolves into mud and he comes out of hiding…

Ok, so maybe he's not an idiot…

'**Kuchiyose no jutsu: Edo Tensei!'**

What the fuck…

There's some boxes coming out of the ground…ichi…..ni….s-..no…yon

Oh shit…

It seems Sarutobi's caught on and made sure that the fourth box…well coffin, didn't come up…

Jutsu sho…. What a technique…. It just cancels a ninjutsu... period… awesome…

The two boxes open and confirm my suspicions…

I'm a weakling… what have I been doing all this time…

The Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages now stand before their old student, the Sandaime, ready to do battle…

The Shodaime is the most …ninja looking …ninja.. I've ever seen… even more so than Itachi…

Jiraiya looks like he's about to die…. He's working overtime on that barrier now…

''You've grown old monkey…''

''Shodaime-sama, Nidaime-sama please prepare yourselves…''

The old man has tears in his eyes…

Orochimaru looks positively gleeful…

''it's a shame I couldn't bring out your old student Jiraiya….''

''You're even worse than I could ever have imagined Orochimaru… I promise you you'll die here today…''

He doesn't answer… instead he places kunai into the necks of the former Hokages…

And so it begins…

\-\-\

.

.

This is insane…

.

.

Madness given corporeal form…..

.

.

.

.

Utterly ridiculous….

.

.

.

The first and second Hokages are more powerful than I thought, immensely so…

.

.

And the third's kicking their ass…

.

.

.

Ludicrous…

\-\-\

.

Sensei's sweating now and the barrier still isn't any close to being down, he has a few ideas but its taking time…

The Sandaime hasn't got time…

The invasion force seams quelled more or less and we now have quite a few spectators… however, the battle inside the dome's completely out of this world…

The revived bodies of the Shodaime and Nidaime are apparently indestructible…. Nothing seems to work, the Sandaime's tiring and quickly losing ground…

Orochimaru himself is just standing there, the bastard… content to alternate between just throwing in a few random attacks at the old man and insulting Jiraiya-sensei…

I can barely see what's going on now; the Shodaime's created some ultra dense woodland… inconsiderate cock…

''Sensei why don't just go under?''

''For the same reason sensei's battle isn't destroying the foundations of this tower gaki…. Do you think my teammate would have staked his life on an incomplete barrier and a summoning jutsu… no gaki, Orochimaru might be an arrogant fool but he's as slippery as they come. This barrier goes down into the building itself strengthening the building's very foundation through his bodyguards' contact with the roof. An ingenious work of ninjutsu, but I'm nearly through brat so let me work…''

''Hai sensei...''

Why do people keep staring at me…?

Anyways, that's pretty clever…. A barrier like that would make sure the enemy couldn't escape and no-one could interfere… Still though, not everyone would be willing to deal with a village full of ninja after the barrier falls….

Gotta give Orochi-teme some credit…. He's got balls…

On top of that…. All his brilliant schemes, manoeuvring Suna, impersonating the Kazekage, the information he's got, the resources, starting his own village, a self made kage with no clans behind him…. His genius barrier, a fucking **immortality** jutsu…. The guy even summoned the previous/dead Hokages to complete his revenge… talk about poetic justice…

This guy… he's fucking amazing…

So then…

.

.

.

''Why?''

.

.

''How…''

.

.

''What are you going on about gaki?''

.

''Isn't something wrong with this picture…''

.

.

''What the fuck are you talking about brat!?''

.

.

How dare this fool….

.

.

''I was speaking to Jiraiya-sama ANBU-san, perhaps you should mind your own business….''

Fucking prick interrupting me…

He's staring at me with murder in his eyes now…

Meh... try it pussy…

.

.

A hard glance from Jiraiya sensei stills him and he quickly bows n retreats…

.

Fool, doesn't even realise Jiraiya sensei probably just saved his life… he doesn't fell ve-

''Brat… Stop daydreaming and tell me what the fuck you're talking about.''

''Hai sensei, sorry… it's just this whole situation… Orochimaru, all that he's done… he's incredibly strong, from what I sense no1 but you or Sandaime-sama would have any chance'' a few stir at this… the arrogance…

''I already know all this gaki, get to the point…''

''What I mean sensei is that all this ninja prowess, the sheer resources, creating his own village, manipulating Suna, a spy as deep and with as much information as Kabuto, it just… its just seems unlikely that he would lose this easily… he knew that we'd get information about the invasion from the suna-nin…''

''Don't think you can begin to understand a twisted person like Orochimaru brat, ever since being denied the position of Yondaime he's vowed revenge on sensei, and he's getting it, its all that matters to him….''

''But surely he could have at least changed the date of the invasion...''

''You don't understand brat, Orochimaru would never allow this to happen away from such a large crowd of delegates from all over the elemental nations… he's got a thing for showmanship and it would be the perfect opportunity to show the world his power…''

''I..I suppose sensei…. It still seems a bit strange to me that he hasn't taken any measures to stop his forced being routed from ninja on the border… it almost seems…calculated.''

''And now all of our forces are back in the village…'' stated the Copy-ninja

''It is a bit strange Jiraiya-sama…''

''Rat…''

''Hatake-sempai''

''Take two teams and scout the surrounding area… recruit and Inuzuka on the way. Anything suspicious report back immediately.''

''Hai-sempai''

With a short bow he was gone, no gust, no leaves, no smoke…

I can see why Kakashi chose that one; he's not like the others…

Pure speed and amazing chakra control…

''What are you thinking Kakashi…''

''Nothing Jiraiya-sama, just being careful...''

Hm...

''I suppose it makes sense, the kid's got some good instincts, best to check it out…''

''Hmm… Yes he is…interesting.''

''I going to try to break this barrier…everyone stand back…''

.

.

Sensei… amazing…

He's gathering some kind of energy I've never felt before, the more experienced and stronger shinobi like Kakashi, Gai and Some of the ANBU seem to feel something as well…

It's similar to Chakra…

So powerful… I wonder… will I learn this one day.

It's even attracted Orochimaru's attention…..

''What are you doing you fool, this barrier is impenetrable for as long as the anchors have chakra…''

''**Sennjutsu: Katon Kakigesuido !''**

With that sensei pressed his hands to the barrier….

The dome almost seems to be wavering..

And sensei's aura is….growing..stronger…

He's leeching the energy from the flame….

Amazing..

Fire drain indeed….

What the fuck is the 'sage arts though''…

.

.

\-\-\

''Amazing, Jiraiya-sama's draining the fire energy from the barrier….''

.

''It's only natural, he _is_ one of the legendary three ninjas afterall…''

''Such power… I've never felt anything like this before, the Hokage battle, Jiraiya-sama's power, its unreal…''

It's something I've noticed…

All these ninja who consider themselves so 'powerful' have no real idea of what's out there if they haven't been in the wars…

They don't even know how strong their Hokage is, only that he's 'the strongest ninja in the village'….

It's pathetic…

I suppose I could have been like that too…

But I'd seen power early on in my life… and then met power that defied all of reality…

My standards are considerably higher than these simpletons…

The barriers coming down and everyone gets in position to jump in and lay the smack down on Orochimaru. I might not yet be his match but with Sharingan Kakashi, the Toad Hermit, The Green Beast, Asuma of the 12 guardians and Konoha Anbu neko '_The Silent Leaf' ._ I think my chances are pretty good…

Now's the time… I refrain from giving myself a slap on the cheek as I go through my enthusiastic pre-ass kicking warm up.

The ANBU stare incredulously as I start stretching

They wouldn't understand

I'm just too co-

''Sempai!''

ANBU rat's back and he doesn't look good…

Fuck…

.

.

This isn't good… he's powerful; if he's overwhelmed then we just might be fucked….

No… I refuse to die here…

''Stop freaking out brat, you're wasting chakra…''

Fuck… I forgot how much my chakra leaks when I'm upset…

''Gomen sensei...''

''Jiraiya-sama! Sempai! Monsters! They're coming… quick!''

''Calm down rat... where's your teams?

''They've gone to spread the warning sempai…monsters… they're coming… all kinds of them… abominations!''

Just then they started coming into view…

These…

Creatures…

They looked like lab experiments….mangled looking human corpses…

Orochimaru…

He got kicked out for experiments on people…..

Damn…

''ANBU!''

''Jiraiya-sama''

''Stay here so that when the barrier comes down you can help the Sandaime while I engage Orochimaru… Kakashi!''

''Hai..''

''Take the brat with you, find a few ANBU squads and coordinate a counter-attack…''

''Asuma..''

''Hai!''

''Take your girlfriend with you'' I almost laugh out loud as they both flinch then glower at sensei… as if they could stop him from being an old perve…. ''-then secure the area''

''Everyone got their orders… For the will of fire…Move out!''

With explosions of smoke, rustling leaves and distorted air, most everyone's gone…

.

.  
''Come on Naruto...''

''Sensei..''

''Go on brat, they'll need you if they're to survive those things…. ''

''Orochimaru, you've gone too far, I must thank you though, I'm finally able to bury old friendships and do what I should have done years ago…''

''Jiraiya you fool, what you should have done years ago… you weakling, it is I who will kill you today Jiraiya, you will finally see the difference between us…''

''Kakashi, Take the boy and go!''

The chakra pressure in the air's gone back from numbing to staggering….

Its awe-

\-\-\

-some…. I suddenly find myself somewhere else, the view obscured by swirling leaves…

I flip away quickly… who dared…

Kakashi…

''Save that glare for the enemy Naruto, we've got work to do...''

''Why bother kid-''

''Shut up, the village is under attack and we have orders, there's no time for pointless arguments…''

I can't believe this guy…

Fuck you one-eye

''Hai...''

''Good, Ikkousou''

And we're off…

\-\-\

.

.  
These creatures… what are they…. There's no fucking end to them…. I feel like canon fodder as I stand on the front lines as a near army of abominations bundle toward the village….

I don't like the fact the I'm first line of defence but Kakashi's here too so I suppose these must be exceptional circumstances…

They've got the strongest, most resilient fighters up front… so the weak can pick off the stragglers…

Hn…

This is it guys… this is where it begins… I wonder if they'll really call me 'The Demon' in the bingo book…

' The Slasher' doesn't sound too bad either…

240ft

I know…… the Itachi killer….

160 ft and closing

Nah… that sounds lame…

100ft

So many choices…

60ft

Fuck it who cares…

30ft and easily caught with a shuriken in the throat…

10ft and a split second later I've broken one's jaw…

I'm inside the fray and seriously laying the smack down… these humanoid creatures are strong…but not strong enough…

As I hear Gai-sensei shout ''12!''

And the copy ninja shout ''10!''

I can help but smile… the game is on….

**  
\-\-\**

**A/N: ****Wow! I've been gone for a looong time…. University's a pain in the ass, I've had a trillion deadlines to meet and I got a new job….so sorry. I'm sorry if this chapter's a little subpar; I kinda slowed my own momentum when I stop writing. As for the battle with Neji, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for Naruto to see that even though he thinks he's not like 'the others' and doesn't underestimate others, its exactly what he does. The light think was a good idea but I've seen it done too many times in fan fiction. Sorry if that battle sucked and disappointed you. I'm not really that great when it comes to writing fights.**

**I thought long and hard about the other Jinchuuriki and I decided that Orochimaru chose Suna, who had the one-tail, the weakest, because Suna was the most vulnerable and the only place he could acquire a biju from… I've been reading the manga and the Jinchuuriki all seem well protected to me… two in Kumo, one the brother of the Raikage, some unsealed but takes years even for the Akatsuki to find. Anyways my point is, yes Orochimaru would make other plans but I don't think he'd be able to get a replacement biju with a month's notice or even a year's. ****Also, I read a few fics where that happened and I find it overdone now.**

**For DarkTorrent: I really like the Sandaime but I also find him a bit too ideological and indecisive… he let Orochimaru get away after he was proven to be a criminal of the worst kind and then killed two ANBU in front of him. Then Kumo sends a delegate who tries to kidnap a Hyuuga and is killed. Sure he has diplomatic immunity but this isn't the modern world, this is a world with ninja generals who are paranoid and untrusting and willing to strike out at even small offences in order to protect their status as 'strong'. To give in to Kumo is a sign of weakness, one I don't think the Shodaime or Nidaime would have made. They're portrayed as very hardcore ninja in the manga. Anyways even the way he lets Tsunade wander around with a head full of village secrets and no longer in the service of Konoha and not even an entry in the bingo books is a sign of how weak he is because of too much sentimentality.  
**

**Your idea about Orochimaru going all out and Jiraiya fits well with how things ended in this chapter so it should be in the next. **

**And yeah, it's like a disease, I didn't even mean to bash Sasuke in this story, I think he's a pretty cool character despite his flaws. All the fics I read mostly have Sasuke bashing in them, most times for no reason, its kinda stuck in my head now but I'll ease up a lot on any Sasuke bashing in future.**

**Wow! Long…. But yeah I dunno about pairings, I'll give it a think in the coming days.**

**Next chapter in 1-2 weeks.**

**Dumblemort.  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I always forget to say this but I don't own Naruto, its owned by Mashashi Kishimoto and Shonen Jump etc. If you try to sue me you'll get nothing because I'm poor!**

**  
My Idol**

Chapter 10

* * *

  
Too easy….

These monsters might look the part but when it comes down to it they're not that strong. Ok, so they're strong… but nothing our group can't handle.

It's a long tedious process dispatching them but we're having a bit of fun. For the sake of chakra conservation I'm keeping it simple, stab, cut, rip, kick, punch… There's too much going on right now to risk using anything up unnecessarily.

''29! KAKASHI, IT SEEMS THAT I HAVE WON ONCE AGAIN! THE SCORE IS NOW 26-25 IN MY FAVOUR!''

Looks like everyone's finishing up.

About time.

''24, looks like I've lost...''

.  
.

24's impressive given that it puts me about level with the copy ninja, just thought I'd rub it in a bit.

____________________________________________________________________

''Hatake-sempai, Karuha-sempai…''

Isshen Karuha, a beast, managed to kill 27 and used a particularly impressive water jutsu not too long ago. If I remember correctly he's called the Floating leaf or something in the bingo book.

''Report...''

''Jiraiya-sama has engaged Orochimaru and Hokage-sama is still fighting Shodaime-sama and Nidaime-sama.''

''Alright, Secure the east west and south gates, then send out a scout team to the Border.''

''Hai, sempai.''

Fidget much? This guy's ANBU…I'm unimpressed

''There is one other thing sempai… We have Yakushi Kabuto in ANBU custody, he tried to free Sabaku, killed the two guards as well.''

Kakashi looks up in alarm. ''Make sure you keep them both locked up tight and in maximum chakra restraints, he's nearly as slippery as Orochimaru.''

''Hai''

* * *

\-\-\

''Good work kid...''

Err… Thanks random shinobi-san

''Naruto...''  
''Hai.''

''Let head back and provide what help we can…''

''Hai''

Me and Cyclops take to the roof and start racing towards the tower. I'm wondering why we didn't use shushin but who am I to argue with Hatake Kakashi.

My anxiety pushes my speed up a few notches and the Copy ninja effortlessly matches my pace. He's pretty fast, but neither of us is going all out so there's no point in trying to make a decent comparison.

We soon arrive at the roof and immediately have to jump apart to dodge what looks like the remnants of a Doton jutsu.

Damn. The place is a mess. Jiraiya-sensei and Orochimaru are locked in a summons battle, while a few random shinobi try to provide what support they can. The floor's littered with the bodies of the brave and the foolhardy.  
I see a genin who graduated with me amongst them, the weak seeking fame, the fool.  
A few of the stronger and smarter shinobi are trying sneak attacks from distance whilst trying to stay out of the range of the two previous kages.  
It's very nearly futile, the two kages appear to have a near inexhaustible arsenal of Mokūton and Suiton techniques respectively.

Kakashi's taken back out the sharingan and appears to be observing the three Hokages fight. Bastard, no telling how many new jutsu he's gonna learn by the time this is over, as if a thousand isn't enough.

Hn..

Enough observation. I race towards Jiraiya-sensei's battle with Oro-teme. Gotta protect my interest. Besides, maybe I'll get the killing blow on this guy.

**Kuchiyose no Jutsu!**

Now I stand on my own toad. One I've come to favour over the month.

''Gamakuro…''

''Naruto…'' the toad responds in a deep baritone not unlike Gamabunta's. He's strange even among the frogs, his midnight black skins sets him apart from the others.

''Ikkousou!''

We immediately take to the air, a large breath later and Gamakuro lets out a powerful blast of oil.

**Katon: Gamayu Endan!**

The blast of flaming oil races to Orochimaru's position obliterating the summon and baking his…mud clon-

My super sensitivity to chakra saves me as I duck on instinct and push myself to the side rolling off of Gamakuro and flipping backwards twice to avoid the shuriken in my wake.

Orochimaru dashes towards me but he's then wrapped snugly in the tongue of sensei's toad.  
I rush in but with a flick of his wrist his sword rises off the ground and races towards me.

I jump back and throw a few kunai at his captured form; I flip through hand seals and a few become many, the tongue of a stone toad can take it. They strike but then his body breaks apart into countless miniature snakes that slither towards me quickly.

A low level Fūton jutsu neutralises the snakes without much trouble though I'm immediately forced to jump away again as Oro-chan erupts from the ground behind me.

Gamakuro lets loose with a Katon jutsu of his own, I use the opportunity to glance at Jiraiya-sensei and he looks madder than I'd ever seen him. I guess that whole 'end of friendship' thing was more than just a speech.

He looks towards me and I get a deep sense of foreboding. The sound of clashing kunai right behind me turns me around abruptly.

Jiraiya-sensei's there, his kunai locked with Orochimaru's.

When did he…

I look back towards his clone to see that it's already on the move.

**Ninpo: Ranji Shigumi no Jutsu!**

Sensei's hair elongates in a way similar to the Needle Guardian but the difference is clear as he whips his head around and uses the spiky mane as more of a thorny whip.

Impressive technique.

Orochimaru's not caught probably having seen this before. He quickly jumps completely disregarding the technique and spitting something at the attacking Jiraiya. The now sizzling hair makes it appear to be some sort of acid; the clone quickly dissolves into mud.

He looks around for the real Jiraiya-sensei only to witness him kicking the Shodaime in the back of the head. I almost laugh at the sheer absurdity of Jiraiya-sensei simply abandoning his battle with Orochi-chan on a whim.

Speak of the devil; he's now simpering at the slight.

I use the opportunity, half a seal later and a clone appears crouched before Orochimaru ready to deliver a leaf shadow kick but he's batted away as one would a mere annoyance.  
Orochimaru then takes off in the direction of the battling Shodaime and Jiraiya only for sensei and the Shodaime to finally turn, and….disappear.

He remerges from Orochimaru's ….shadow, and lands a devastating left hook with a Rasengan following up in with his right.  
Orochimaru's body is ground into woodchips? Shit! Kawarimi…

Sugoi

This is intense.

Orochi slithers out of a mass of rubble not too far away; he looks to be in about the same condition as Jiraiya-sensei, perfectly fine.

''Interesting Technique Jiraiya…… How did you hide in my shadow?''

''Tch…. Like I'd tell you anything teme...''

''Kukukukuu… Still a baka Jiraiya? Why waste your time, how do you expect to beat me?''

''Let me worry about that teme…''

He's turned towards me now…

''Hahahahahaha….. I feel sorry for you brat, with a decent sensei you could have been more than average.''

He's trying to insult both sensei and I but I'm far too focused.

So far he's proven to outclass me in nearly everything, even unpredictability.

''What of your students Orochimaru? That Kabuto appears to be quite strong but ultimately no-one. Matarashi in a straight fight is only a bit stronger than the average jounin. My last student however was the strongest ninja in this village; he even took the title you so wanted…. Yondaime…..Made you leave….You ran off because you weren't strong enough…. A traitor and a murderer with impossible dreams.''

Damn…. Orochi-teme's focus is back on sensei now…

GO

I shushin behind but he felt it from the get go and predictably dodges the wind blade formed round my hand. We immediately separate, both of our hands flashing through seals simultaneously.

**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!**

The two fireballs collide but I'm worried because the explosion's left a smoke screen and I'm standing in the open.

**Sen'eijashu**

Shit, snakes come flying at me, I don't even think twice before replacing myself with a nearby piece of debris. It was harder than I thought, seemed sluggish. This is bad. Rocks are a bit hard to swap with it seems but I'll have to mana-

I roll quickly to the side to avoid decapitation. I pivot and then spring myself forward.  
I can see him.

I pile the chakra into my legs and run like I haven't ran before, nearly disappearing completely.

I barely catch the surprise in his face before he's struck to the jaw with a Leaf shadow kick.

He's airborne… A single seal and another me appears behind him and wraps its arms around.

**Bakuretsuha**

The explosion pushes me back a bit but its ok as long as I get some results.

Orochimaru appears to be somewhat damaged but he doesn't even seem to be winded.

''So full of surprises Naruto-kun…. ''

''Hn…''

I make two quick signs with my hands to signal Gamakuro, this is why I love this frog, even in our spars with sensei he can remain completely unseen on a battlefield.

He takes to the air and starts make seals while I finish my own sequence.

**Fūton: Kazekawa!**

My hands are locked in the final seal and the wind erupts unseen behind me.  
Coiled up quite ironically like a snake, the wind erupts suddenly towards my foe in a punishing stream as rapid as any river.

You're up kuro…

**Katon: Ensho**

Kuro lets loose the last ingredient, a massive wave of invisible flame.

Ok so its heat….

Invisible flame sounds so much better.

**Nibai Dangan: Entenkaze**

The blazing winds rip into Orochi-teme and his screams are like music to my ears. I watch in morbid fascination as skin peels away under the onslaught in what must be excruciating pain.

**Hijutsu: Hebi-o-washikage**

I turn and try to jump away but I'm not quick enough. A snake erupts from the ground beneath me and takes a bite out of my side.

..  
….

….

What the fuck!?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

It's fucking bleeding everywhere.

Adrenalin's pumping and I can already feel it starting to heal but it's not healing quickly enough.

How the fuck? I quickly look back only to see the charred corpse of Orochimaru disappear in a haze.

Genjutsu…

FUCK

My wound erupts in renewed pain as Gamakuro crashes into the side of me saving me from a particularly gruesome end a la Ryūka no jutsu and dispelling himself.

Shit, when did he get behind me?

''You've got potential Naruto-kun…. But did you really think you could beat me.''

The last word is whispered in my ear then I feel myself falling.

I open my eyes to see Orochimaru stabbing a clone of Jiraiya-sensei.

Replacement…

''You did good gaki….''

''Sensei…'' I can feel a bit of shame burning in me but I stamp down on it ruthlessly…. I've never though myself the equal of any S-rank ninja. I wanted to test myself…and I have.

It's that fucking Orochi-teme, he's so annoying. He makes me want to rush in and gouge his eyes out.

''Don't worry gaki; I'll be taking care of Orochimaru.... See about getting that wound healed up or it might slow you down enough to get you killed.''

''It's already halfway there sensei…''

''Good, now give me some space kid. I haven't cut loose in years…''

\-\-\  


* * *

A resounding boom echoes from Jiraiya-sensei's latest jutsu.

He and Orochi appear to be more or less equal. The Snake style taijutsu is impressive, one of the most lethally offensive styles I've ever seen, its fortunate then that the toad style is its defensive equal.

**Sen'eitajashu  
**  
This one appears to be different from the one used against me, for one thing, there's like a billion more snakes and they're all bigger.

Sensei uses **Katon: Endan** to take care of a large number of them then Hari Jizo skewered any unlucky enough to get up close.

Orochimaru's used the opening to rush in and knee sensei in the chest, he follows up by hitting a pressure point on his arm that's supposed to make the whole arm useless.

Jiraiya-sensei's arm is now hanging limply at his side; Orochimaru must be scarily accurate to have caught him with that.

Orochimaru presses his advantage by throwing a couple kunai wrapped with explosive notes, they impact a log and explode covering Jiraiya-sensei's escape.

A Toad's tongue appearing seemingly from nowhere wraps around Orochimaru and drags him in, Jiraiya-sensei's form gradually emerging from the toad's mouth holding a kunai.

The Kusanagi emerges from Orochi's throat and skewers the toad's tongue making it drop him.

Orochi then flips through seals and launches a **Daitoppa** at sensei. He's ready though and an earth wall blocks it.

The earth wall's use was two-fold apparently and covers sensei's use of **Shinju Zanshu **

He reappears beneath Orochimaru but he's sensed him and jumps away. They both rush in, Orochimaru's kick blocked by sensei's left arm. The 'limp' right suddenly rights itself and a rasengan forms quickly and is smashed into Orochimaru's form sending him skidding backwards.

He looks surprised. So am I, I wonder how sensei fixed his arm.

''Brat, how's the side?'' he shouts towards me..

''Healed sensei!''

''Go help Kakashi and the old man, I've got this under control..''

Orochimaru looks absolutely murderous at the thought of his class 'dobe' having him 'under control'.

Ha

I hope you get your ass kicked teme…

\-\-\

* * *

I ran towards the battling Kages, Rat and Kakashi. They're winning, in no small part thanks to the Sandaime's ridiculous range of jutsu. The Shodaime and the Nidaime appear inexhaustible and capable of recovering from any damage.

I focus my chakra toward my wound hoping it would speed up the process, time is of the essence here.

It takes two minutes of me being reduced to a silent observer but in the end I'm well enough to fight.

In no time I've formed a flame whip and wrapped it around a branch about to strike Kakashi. He gives me a look that says he's got it under control but it hardly matters to me.

In short order the woods burnt to ash and the Shodaime's turned his attention to me.

Everything about the guy makes you feel like a weakling…. but fuck it, me and Kashi got this…..I hope.

He rushes in and I follow suit. We make a loud clang as our kunai clash. We separate and I'm quickest on the draw with my jutsu.

''**Katon: Karyuu Endan!''**

I figure fire's my best chance against wood.

He answers with a water bullet that rips through my attack and nearly takes my head off.

''You didn't think he only knew wood jutsu did you?''

''Hn…''

Maybe I did you one-eyed fuck… you'll have to excuse me but there's a lot to think about in a battle like this.

I form two clones and rush in again; hopefully the copy ninja will do something this time instead of just standing around.

Clone one's dispatched with a kick to the head while number two saves himself with a quick kawarimi…

Clone two fires some shuriken followed up by a shuriken kage bunshin… I bring some heat to the party making it a barrage of flaming shuriken.

The Shodaime makes a **Mokujuuheki **only for Kakashi to come blasting through it with a scream of **Raikiri.**

Sugoi.

He's caught the Shodaime in the chest and barley escapes when it turns out to be a Moku bunshin and traps his hand in the wood.

Kakashi reappears at my back and we stand tensely trying to find the errant Hokage who could be anywhere in this dense woodland.

We both feel the chakra pooling at our feet in time and jump as wooden spikes erupt beneath us. It's served its purpose though as we're now separated and there's now two Shodaime's racing to our respective positions….

I only hope mine's the clone…

As my arms shake under the force of his blow I know it's not wood I'm dealing with and once again curse my luck.

A quick taijutsu match between us proves the Shodaime to be immensely strong physically but myself to be a bit faster…. I've chosen to abandon blocking in favour of dodging. As soon as I've got some space I take the opportunity to form some seals and in a plum of smoke a familiar black toad stands at my side.

I fall back and form a wind blade around my hand and forearm as the Shodaime rushes towards the frog trying to even back out the odds.

All according to plan…

As he stabs the frog he's rocketed backward by a massive explosion. It took nearly all my control to pull that off.

**Bakuretsu Gamabunshin  
**

Exploding toad clone….

.

.

.

Ok so it might be an exploding shadow clone under henge but surprise and deception is everything for a ninja.

I turn to Kakashi's fight and his enemy appears to now be nothing more than woodchips… He's just standing there watching the Nidaime fight the Sandaime et al.

My mind flashes back to when Kakashi got jumped by the Shodaime when the effectiveness of his lightning techniques against the Nidaime became clear.

Kakashi flickers to my side and he looks more pleased than I've seen him.

''The tags…''

''er….''

''Surely you've noticed the tags in the necks of the Shodaime and Nidaime...''

''Er, yeah…sure...'' Not…

''I've finally been able to make out some of the seal characters, I think the tags are keeping them in this world and animated.''

''Damn, somebody should have noticed this before, the Sandai-''

''The Sandaime's eyesight isn't what it used to be; in any case the sharingan has its advantages…. I'm going to get word to Sandaime-sama. Can you hold him by yourself''

No

''I'll see what I can do…''

He gives me one of those looks, those 'eye-smiles' ''You've grown strong Naruto, Jiraiya must be proud.''

Whatever, lets just get this over with.

He races off and the Shodaime makes to intercept him.

I throw a few shuriken but he dodges them expertly and engages Kakashi. It seems he now considers Kakashi to be the bigger threat. So far he's avoided every projectile I've thrown at him.

You bastard… Maybe I should get some lipstick and then you'll notice me.

Hn…  
In any case, you know what they say.

Hell hath no fury

''**Doton: Kiretsu!''**

My chakra coils are gonna hurt like a motherfucker in the morning.

My fissure gets the job done though and creates a gap in the roof between the Shodaime and Kakashi.

That took a lot of chakra, more so since it wasn't actual earth I was working with.

I throw my frame but it's only managed to make what would have a skewering into a hideous gash on my back.

Fucker!

I spin around in time to block an axe kick, the force behind it bringing me to my knees. I'm in a bad position but I've got enough leverage to roll backwards and replace myself with a nearby log. Cheers for making the trees bastard.

He spotted me straight away but it doesn't matter… Running's not really my style in any case and a nothing hones your reflexes like a good beating… Jiraiya-sensei's thought me that the hard way.

''**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu''**

I feel a bit like a one trick pony but truth is my jutsu aren't that numerous, well compared to a Hokage anyway, and I'm sure he can negate most anything I throw at him.

He dodges predictably and I start spamming out clones to give me the opening I need.

Goukakyuu from all directions looks pretty impressive if I do say so myself, Shinju Zanshu covers my escape.

It's a strange feeling being beneath the ground but I can hear every footfall. I erupt behind what I'd guessed to be the Shodaime just in time to see half my clones get swept away in the remnants of a massive Suiton jutsu courtesy the Nidaime.

I've got my task though and I hope he hasn't felt my approach, a wind blade would be best but fuck it; in no time a blue orb forms in my hand and I pour chakra into my feet as I race towards the Shodaime's exposed back. He turns from the remainder of my clones as I'm upon him but by then it's too late.

**RASENGAN!!**

Teeth gritted and I watch in fascination as his head's ground to dust and as the kunai lodged in his neck bends and breaks under the force of the attack. As soon as the kunai's broken some of the 'dust' turns to blood, chips of bone and brain matter as the body reverts to the form of a Sound ninja from the exam…

Shit.

I'm panting heavily now just staring, my mind trying to wrap itself around the sheer amount of weird and unbelievable shit that's happened in these past few months.

War, summons, fighting the Shodaime…. Orochimaru… Ok so I got my ass handed to me by Orochi, and the Shodaime may or may not have been at his full power… ok he wasn't at his full power... but fuck it…

I did it… I fucking kicked the shit out of him…

''I did it…''

''Good job Naruto…''

I spin around to find the Sandaime standing behind me with Kakashi and an injured ANBU on his shoulder.

The old man looks pretty beaten up but looks like he made it in one piece.

I can't help but smile a bit…He looks surprised but he's returned the smile.

I've got a new respect for 'the god of shinobi' seeing him battle in his old age. He's ridiculously strong; I can't imagine what a monster he was in his prime. The Yondaime had to be fucking inhuman if the stories of him being stronger are true...

I doubt it though…

Hiraishin made him famous… Ok so he invented the rasengan as well and I'll admit it's pretty cool. They say he's Konoha's fastest ninja even without the Hiraishin, I'll believe it when I see it.

Fuck…my back hurts…

''Kakashi...''

''Hai Hokage-sama''

''Take Naruto to get medical attention, he-''

''I'm fine….Hokage-sama. My wounds have already started healing''

He gives me that measuring stare but I'll be damned if I have to leave now.

No doubt Orochi-teme's gonna get the God of shinobi and Toad Sage double team.

It'll be epic…

I stand, making sure to stand as rigidly as possible to stress my point of being 'fine'.

''Hn..''

Damn Copy ninja…

''Very well… Kakashi, take Nezumi to the hospital and make sure everything is fine in the village. ''

''Hai, Hokage-sama.''

''I have one last thing I need to take care of… Orochimaru has been allowed to live for too long''

Yeah!

This is gonna be good.

\-\-\

* * *

  
Good doesn't describe it… It's great.

The Sandaime, I and the few ninja around have been reduced to mere spectators in the grudge match between the ex-teammates.

Jiraiya-sensei stands as an unshakable pillar as he and Orochimaru separate once more after a bout of 'who's got the best jutsu'.

Orochimaru's incensed, no doubt by the fact that Jiraiya-sensei who he's perceived to be weaker than himself is holding his ground against him. Not to mention the fact that his Hokage reanimation technique seems to have failed to kill his hated sensei.

Tough luck.

He readies himself to strike again as Jiraiya-sensei falls into what's unmistakably an offensive stance.

The amount of chakra in the air beggars belief but what does one expect when titans clash.

Sensei strikes first, he's closed the gap between them with what seems like absurd ease but Orochimaru's up to the task and counters blow for blow.

Their blows are so heavily reinforced with chakra that the vibrations can clearly be felt through the already damaged rooftop.

Their taijutsu is both superb, honed through years of fighting countless ninja of different villages. This is something I'd expect one couldn't achieve through merely training in a style or sparring. This comes from life and death battles with countless enemies who all have different ways of fighting. It's forced them to adapt and they can react to anything with a spilt second's notice.

It shows through and even the Sandaime looks impressed. He may have underestimated his students.

''**Katon: Ensho''**

Sensei sends a wave of heat rippling towards his rival as they separate from what looked like a choreographed manoeuvre. They know each other too well for a strictly taijutsu fight.

Orochimaru responds by blasting the wave away along with every piece of debris in his line of sight using a particularly powerful fūton ninjutsu. He seems to command the wind nearly as easily as sensei does both earth and fire. There were only two hand seals; it shouldn't be that easy...

Sensei gets pushed back a bit but has managed to keep his footing, its fortunate as snakes rain down on his position in an arc from where Orochimaru's standing.

He jumps to the side but they follow quickly in pursuit.

''**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu''**

Konoha's most overused jutsu races towards the snakes leaving the vast majority of them either burned on contact or flung in the resulting explosion.

He turns back to Orochimaru at the same time that I do to witness his hands in the bird seal in preparation for what would no doubt be a devastating jutsu.

''**Fūton: Moroha!!!''**

Orochi releases the seal before thrusting his crossed arms forward making the rough shape of an X and twin near-invisible blades of wind are released toward sensei's position.

What a technique. The roof tiles are sliced clean through and the shape of the attack doesn't leave much area for potential escape.

With a single ram seal the area beneath Jiraiya turns into a swamp and he's quickly sucked under and no doubt completely through the roof. If the roof tiles weren't natural or clay I think in this case I doubt it would have worked but in this case it was enough… The double wind blade rips through the water before the rest of it simply falls through the now huge hole left behind.

The hole's made even bigger as Jiraiya-sensei on the back of Gamashiro comes bursting through in an impressive leap.

As soon as they touch down they spring towards a now slightly surprised Orochimaru and Gamashiro unsheathes his sword and takes a swipe.

Orochimaru ducks under and stretches his neck until it elongates enough to wrap completely around both sensei and the toad.

It's freaky…

He attempts to bite sensei, his fangs undoubtedly poisoned but Jiraiya-sensei dissolves into mud and Shiro's dispelled leaving Orochimaru a tangled mess until sensei descends from god knows where…

**RASENGAN!!!**

It's got to be the biggest fucking rasengan I've ever seen and it ploughs teme right through the fucking roof which is now more or less starting to fall apart.

A plume of smoke later though and the rest of the roof is destroyed sending all of us tumbling…

After what feels like a 50 foot drop I get out of the rubble and get the fuck out of ground zero.

My fucking shoulder's probably dislocated but fuck it, there's no way I'm sticking around now that Manda'a out…

I get a respectable distance away until another plume signals the arrival of Gamabunta…

Are they fucking serious, they're going to fight like this in the middle of Konoha…?

The tower's completely destroyed as are a few building around it…

I spot the Sandaime a short distance away and he seems to share my sentiments… Those who weren't at the fight before sure as hell are drawn to it now, The legendary Manda and Gamabunta about to do battle…

I feel the Sandaime gathering an enormous amount of chakra, I swivel in time to see him do a few seals and at the end of it Manda disappears…

He looks positively enraged now…

Jiraiya-sensei dispels Gamabunta soon afterward seemingly surprised by this turn of events…

I take off after the Hokage…

* * *

  
\-\-\

* * *

''WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?''

''What the fuck are you talking about bastard..?''

''How did you-''

''That would be me…''

''Ahh Sarutobi-sensei… So you un-summoned Manda… I didn't think such a thing was possible…''

''As long as one has enough chakra it is possible to cancel nearly all techniques…''

''Hmmm…. You held out on us sensei… you never thought that to me or the dobe… Well, you never thought much to the dobe in any case…''

The Sandaime's head dips a bit in shame at that and Jiraiya-sensei's fist clench tightly… Let it not be said that the snake doesn't know how to get under someone's skin.

''You've grown strong Jiraiya… I never thought I'd see the day where you could hope to give me such a fight...''

''I intend to give you more than a fight today teme…''

''Jiraiya-''

''Stay out of this sensei…. I'll deal with Orochimaru''

The Sandaime looks surprised but his retort's beaten by Orochimaru's

''Then come…''

Nothing else needed to be said.

Sensei flips through seals before stomping the ground sending a wave of rippling earth forward… He doesn't even waste time calling out the technique…

Just before it reaches Orochi-chan the wave rises up and spikes jut out of it.

Sugoi.

Orochi flips through hand seals quickly.

''**Ninpou: Shinja Onkei''**

Orochimaru's skin immediately takes on an even more snake like appearance as the wave crashes into him. As the debris clears Orochi can be seen standing there as though he hasn't just been hit by a crushing wave of spiked earth. What a defence.

Sensei seems surprised but it doesn't hold for long and he rushes in and lands a solid punch across Orochimaru's face… A crack can be heard as sensei breaks or dislocates or something one of his fingers on impact and Orochi's left standing there with that insufferably smug look on his face.

Sensei falls back and seems to be in thought…

''Impressive Orochimaru… Sacred snake blessing… I see the snakes must really favour you to give such a technique.''

''Kukukukuku… Indeed…''

''Unfortunately for you teme… So too do the toads favour me...''

With that proclamation sensei becomes abnormally still and the air gets a hum to it…

I haven't got a clue what's going on…

Jiraiya-sensei's features begin to change slightly but it's hard to make out even with my vision.

It's like he's becoming more….toad-like…

Sugoi, so the toad arts have an ultimate toad defence as well.

''Hmmph, never thought I'd use this against you teme, I probably don't need to but I'd rather not take any chances…''

''Come then fool…Show me what this technique can do…''

''Gladly''

And he disappears…

One minute he's there, the next there's only broken stone and Orochimaru's doubled over in pain…

What the fuck… I couldn't even see it… Is this the power the Yondaime possessed, a toad technique?

I can't wait to learn this shit…

Orochimaru recovers as another Orochimaru slithers out of the mouth of the gagging one… Disgusting.

He looks livid.

''This is the difference between us now teme…we aren't at the academy anymore''

With that he once again disappears and proceeds to batter Orochimaru.

The surrounding ninja could only look on in silence... Fuck me, this is sick

He lets up after a bit as the Sandaime looks on in shock… His idiot student beating the shit out of his genius student, his surrogate 'son', must have been quite a sight for the old man.

''What is this technique? How did you get so strong Jiraiya?''

''It's called sage mode teme… I'll leave out the mechanics if you don't mind…''

''You…you….Hahahahahaha….who would have thought the dobe would come so far…''

''Hn...''

''Hahahahahahahahahahaha….''

Ok, so teme's gone mad…. Well…madder..

''You don't get it do you Jiraiya-baka…No matter how many techniques you learn, you'll never be better than me…''

With that the snake summoner's chakra levels increased once again as his body distorted, elongated and began to form something…

All present could only look on in shock as Orochimaru, the legendary snake charmer took on the form of a giant white snake… Its body made up entirely of smaller white snakes…

''hhssshhssshssss….'' Even his laughter sounds more snake-like now…

''Don't worry Jiraiya… sage-mode won't die with you. I'll be sure to discover its secrets from your corpse…''

''Oro…Orochimaru… what have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE YOU BASTARD!?''

'' Hhssshhssshssss… I have gone beyond human limitations Jiraiya… Just as I've shown sensei earlier, I am now immortal… I am no longer confined by human conventions… My power has always been superior to yours, I thought I would remind you.''

''I..I can never forgive this… You truly are a monster…''

With that Orochimaru dives and tries to attack but he's still too slow… He tries a Shikumi no jutsu, a technique I'm not surprised he can pull off in that form. But to a veteran of war like Jiraiya, a death viewing technique is near useless…''

Sensei's become still again and Orochimaru takes the opportunity to attack… As he bites down Jiraiya-sensei's disappeared in a plume of smoke… a kage bunshin.. and reappears on top of a nearby building.

''**Katon: Endan''**

The flame bullet races towards Orochi but he takes it head on without visible damage. Sensei appears underneath him and delivers a punishing blow that sends the snake flying.

Flipping through hand seals sensei then stomps the ground sending rocks and debris flying skywards. Its crazy just how many rocks have been hoisted into the air.

With a cry of ''**Doton: Ishi Yuudachi!'' **the rocks come hurtling back towards the earth or more specifically Orochimaru…

Sensei's not done yet it seems as he faces the falling rocks and calls out another attack…

''**KATON: RYUUSEI!!!!''**

A blast of flame erupts from his mouth and sets alight the stones now falling toward Orochimaru's position.

Orochimaru in a surprise move sprouts arms for his snakelike body and forms a seal chain in a matter of seconds…

'' **Doton: Ishikouken''**

A powerful looking stone shield forms in front of him and curves over to cover his head… What a defence…

The 'falling stars' pummel the barrier but it seems to be holding up…

The shockwaves and flaming bits of stone flying everywhere cause a few ninjas to back the fuck up.

finally realised their place in a high level ninja battle… One day this'll be me…

The onslaught's finally let up though the area's completely covered in raised dust and smoke… No doubt exactly what Orochimaru's wanted…

**Fūton: Kobushi no Fūjin**

The wind whistles eerily until a giant fist made of **visible** wind comes crashing into Jiraiya sensei… It completely obliterates the ground and surrounding area pushing everyone who's surrounding the battle back… I try to hold on using chakra to stick my feet down but I'm sent flying in any case. The other spectators find themselves in a similar situation, all except the Sandaime.

The wind was completely fucking visible… the amount of fucking chakra it would take to power an attack like that would leave even myself gasping in exertion... possibly unable to fight… the control

Fuck…

'**Futon: Shishi Gougan!''**

With a massive roar sensei sends wind flying in all directions, clearing debris from around him un-burying himself and clearing the dust impairing his vision.

He snarls at his rival barring his teeth looking for all the world like a wild animal while gathering an insane amount of chakra….

Orochimaru seems to have realised his position, there was no-one behind him… Nothing… No people, no buildings… nothing… this attack was gonna be a good one. No collateral damage

He flipped through what must have been 25 seals in seconds ending on the tora seal…  
Surrounding ninja tensed… I tensed…

For a shinobi like sensei to use 25 seals on a fire jutsu, with his experience, control AND fire affinity….

katon  
katon **KATON **katon  
katon

The word just seemed to echo… resonating...

**''Ryūjin Tenbatsu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!''**

From sensei's mouth he expels a dragon made of blue flame that races towards Orochimaru's position roaring all the way promising untold pain.

''**Sanjuu Rashȱmon''**

Three of the infamous demonic gates rise out of the ground in quick succession to intercept the attack… The first gate being ploughed through almost immediately.

In the end the attack destroys the second gates and explodes on the third undoubtedly leaving behind a crater, though it's hard to tell through the dust and on your back 200 meters away…

I regain my footing in time to feel a giant form wrap around me…

''I know you're around Jiraiya….''

''Orochimaru...what the fuck are you doing? This battle is between me and you...''

''Still a fool… Hmmph, you've proven to be even stronger than I'd imagined….I find myself needing a bit of…insurance.''

''You bastard! Let him go! Let him go now, I swear I'll kill you for this!''

''Kukukukukukukuku… indeed, you should have killed me Jiraiya, with your strength you could have killed me many times today, but like sensei, you've proven to be weak..''

Hello…. I'm sort of suffocating here… I can't move my hand to form even half a seal and my chakra's being disrupted somehow… I'm fucked…

How could this happen to me…

''Let him go NOW teme!''

''Do you think shouting will make me let him go Jiraiya… Or even your anger… For all your power you're still a simple fool… Continue, you might just lose another student today...''

Cold…

I really fucking like and hate this guy at the same time…

If I ever get out of this shit I'm gonna hi-five then kick the shit out of this bastard…

''Orochimaru, please…'' He's let go of sage mode.

''What the fuck are yo-''

A tight squeeze between Orochi's coils silence me… What the fuck is sensei doing…? I don't wanna die but fuck it; if the positions were reversed I'd smoke both Orochi-teme and Jiraiya-sensei, a necessary sacrifice… such is the way of ninja

Jiraiya sensei's too soft sometimes… I'd much rather be dead than a hostage of Orochimaru's…there's no telling what the fuck he'll do to me…

''Orochimaru, let the boy go and I'll let you leave…''

''You'll let me… Jir-''

''**Shiki Fujin''**

No…

What the fuck!? What the fuck is the old man doing…?

I start squirming as hard as I can…  
The air's become impossibly cold…  
I've read the forbidden scroll, I know what's coming…. I'm not getting caught up in this technique… worse than death… in the stomach of the death god… with **him**…

Orochimaru's form uncoils a bit from around me… I instantly kawarimi away…

''Sarutobi-sensei…''

''Orochimaru…. There's no way I'd allow you to leave here today after what you've done…''

''Sensei… what the hell are you doing…''

''I'm old Jiraiya… Orochimaru is my mistake, if I hadn't let him get away none of this would have happened…''

''Sensei...'' The toad sage is left speechless, for a minute I thought he was going to cry but he holds it in like an old pro…

''What is this!? Sarutobi-sensei… what the hell are you doing!?''

''This jutsu summons the Shinigami… We will both spend eternity in his stomach, a fate worse than death but a sacrifice I'm willing to make for you to pay for your sins…''

''What…? YOU FOOL! YOU CRAZY OLD FOOL! RELEASE ME!''

''No...''

''RELEASE ME!''

Surrounding ninja could only look on, most heads bowed in respect for the sacrifice the Sandaime Hokage was making…

Its times like these you let go of old grievances… For all the old man's withheld from me…

For all his negligence….

Its humbling…  
I feel rain falling on my face and can see it falling on the faces of some others…

A strange phenomenon…

''Gaki...''

I turn away…  
I haven't had rain falling on my face in years, it's embarrassing…

I promised myself I would never cry again… A promise I'm renewing today…

There's a lesson to be learned in all this…

All the drama, old grudges, betrayal and sacrifice… A lesson I'm taking to heart...

I won't cry again because I'll never allow there to be reason for me to cry again…

I'll never make the same mistakes as these fools…

Once I've achieved my dreams, maxed my potential, who could make me cry...

''SENSEI!''

Jiraiya-sensei's cry alarms me and I spin in time to see the Sandaime being skewered by Orochimaru's Kusanagi…

Surprise leaves me numb…

''It seems that once again I have failed….I'm sorry Jiraiya…''

''Sarutobi-sensei…'' Jiraiya moves to remove the sword…

''Stop…''

''Release me old man!''

''Stop Jiraiya, there is no stopping this jutsu… I will die either way…''

''Sensei...''

''Orochimaru…It seems once again I find myself without the strength to finish you... Cough...cough…your ambitions end here today though… All you precious jutsu…''

''What? What are you talking about… you don have the strength, the poison will kill you before you can complete this technique…''

''heh…**Fuin!**''

With that the atmosphere recedes, the heavy ominous feeling is gone…. Orochimaru stares at his now blackened arms… and the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha falls to the ground…

.

All is still…

.

''You..you… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY ARMS?!''

Orochimaru then moves to kick the body of the Sandaime but turns and gets hit with a Rasengan that tears off his left arms completely…

Jiraiya-sensei… No scratch that, every Konoha shinobi is now the epitome of rage…

Murderous intent saturates the air like never before as everyone who's borne witness to the battle releases their hatred upon the traitorous snake… The very feeling is heavy enough to paralyze even the snake charmer in his weakened state…

''Ahhhhhh!!!!'' One ANBU sums up Konoha's collective feelings and rushes towards the defenceless snake…

This sets of a chain reaction as ninja after ninja follow…

ANBU 'saru' fittingly enough leads the charge…  
He grabs Orochimaru and……jumps away?

Wait…what?

He removes his mask and reveals the face of another man I've come to hate…Everything about him rubbed me the wrong way from the day I met him... It figures he'd be here….

Yakushi Kabuto…

This feeling…

This man…

These men…Orochimaru... Kabuto..

I hate them…

I hate Orochimaru with all my being…

I hate him and my own weakness, my own inability to destroy the man I hate...

Now he's getting away...

The near tangible murderous intent that permeates the very air I'm breathing strikes something deep within me… something primal…

I want this man to die…

.

Die  
.

Die  
.

''**DIE!!!''**

Red enshrouds my vision…

I revel in the renewed power… my weary bones are unwearied…

The object of my rage stands but a few hundred metres away…

There will be blood…

And then, they simply slide beneath the earth and disappear…

No…

A piece of paper attaches itself to my head and all I know is darkness….

**

* * *

**

* * *

**A/N: Yes, don't hit me…**

**Well well well overdue…I know**

**Not only have I not had any inspiration to write…I've been ridiculously busy doing work for university as well… I'm so overworked, I look like a haggard old man now… **

**Yes Orochi escaped... I hate it to… Fact is, he escaped in this for the same reason he escaped in canon…He's got too much value as a Villain to discard… I hope I portrayed it acceptably though…**

**Yes, Sandaime-jiji's dead. I had to. I love him, he's my favourite Hokage (I'm indifferent to the Yondaime) but he has no further place in my story...**

**Not sure what I'll do with Tsunade... Its gonna be hard, Naruto's not the same person.**

**Fuck you if you gimme any shit about Naruto crying… even Itachi cried… I'm not the best at writing battle either so I did the best I could given the circumstances… Oh yeah, so you know the drill… If I fucked something up tell me… No condescension or ultra-crazy mega flames please.**

**Quite a few original techniques, authors, use whenever the fuck you want, i translated this shit on free online dictionary. If you gimme props i'd take it though  
**

**My techs:**

**Katon: Ensho (Fire Release: Heat wave)**

**Fūton: Kazekawa (Wind Release: Wind river)**

**Nibai Dangan: Entenkaze (Double shot: Blazing Wind)**

**Katon: Kaensenpuu (Fire Release: Flame whirlwind)**

**Katon: Kaenhoushaki (Fire Release: Flame whip)**

**Ninpo: Shinja Onkei (Ninja Arts: Sacred snake blessing) Defensive snakeskin.**

**Fūton: Moroha (Wind Release: Double Edge)**

**Ninpou: Gamashitashibari (Sage Techniques: Toad tongue Bind)**

**Hijutsu: Hebi-o-washikage (Secret Technique: Snake in the eagle's shadow)**

**Katon: Ryuusei (Fire Release: Falling star)**

**Doton: Ishi Yuudachi (Earth Release: Stone Shower/Rain)**

**Fūton: Kobushi no Fūjin (Wind Release: Fist of the WindGod)**

**Fūton: Shishi Gougan (Wind: Release: Lion Pride)**

**Katon: Ryūjin Tenbatsu (Fire Release: Dragon God's Wrath)**

**Bakuretsu Gamabunshin (Exploding Toad clone)**

**Doton: Kiretsu (Earth Release: Fissure)**

**Doton: Ishikouken (Earth Release: Stone Guardian)**

**Bakuretsuha (Exploding Leaf)**

**Oh yeah, a guy asked my why I've only got 63 reviews… Well, I've searched my idol before and all that comes up is Naruto-American Idol style… Now you can see why people might skim past this… I didn't choose the best name. Well that's what I think anyways… Also, not everyone can be asked to review…**


	11. Interlude

**My Idol**

**A/N:**Never done an author note at the beginning before but I feel it's necessary to clear up some things in response to comments and questions. Some people don't think Kakashi did enough in the previous chapter, as far as I'm concerned, he did as he was supposed to.

He didn't 'stand there copying' as one person claimed, he did what he thought was best considering the circumstances. The Third wasn't exactly losing the fight nor was he on the verge of death; consequently Kakashi took the time to look for things that would help in the fight, weaknesses, fighting styles/habits etc.  
The sharingan he possesses is a tool that helps give exceptional insight and he made use of it. I think people forget that Kakashi's greatest strength is his mind; he was referred to as the Leaf's number one technician for a reason.

Before the days of _Copycat ninja Kakashi, _he was Hatake Kakashi; genius extraordinaire, graduated the academy at the age of 5 or 6 and became a chuunin months later, he further went on to become jounin at age 12, invented an assasination technique and was formidable in his own right- all this despite the physical limitations of a young body and well before he received the sharingan.

As for Naruto not being 'ninja enough', I think there's a lot of stuff people missed in this story. I appreciate the 'true ninja' stuff as much as any practical guy would but there's a time and a place for everything. Did people seriously think Naruto could 'true ninja' kill Orochimaru. Sneaking around and not being sensed, slitting throats while marks are sleeping and all that kinda stuff have their place; unfortunately I didn't think the full on battle with Orochimaru was the place. I'm guessing you're guard's pretty 'up' when you come to a place full of ninja intending on invading.

Furthermore, practically speaking, the true _spirit of ninja _or the guidelines ninja live by are just that, guidelines. If it were that easy to sneak up on and/or land a killing blow on Orochimaru he would have been long dead; either by the hand of Hunter ninja versed in the stalking and disposal of nuke-nin or any of his large number of enemies stronger than Naruto.

Anyways... boredom strikes and I'm a horrible tease :P

Shortest ever chapter- found it on my PC and decided to be a major cockface and post it

**Disclaimer: **The rights to the Naruto series and all of its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto, Shueisha, Viz Media and Shonen Jump**. I do not own anything, please don't sue me.**

**My Idol**- Interlude

_greywizard-dumblemort_

"-sh, you must be sure."

"...certain... uka Gai..."

Grogginess. Black-blinders open and shut rapidly before the mind processes them as eyelids and squeezes them shut again, tightly; to block out the encroaching wave of light and nausea.  
Soon disorientation proves less of an annoyance than the inability to discern the **_who_**... the _where _can wait_._

Voices

Two... no, three of them.

"Very well, take him with you if you must-" female, soft, strong voice.

"Though we're not in full support of this idea, Jiraiya. Konoha is at its most vulnerable! I don't see why you can't take up the mantle; this is perhaps our greatest hour of need... Can you imagine..." she trailed off, punctuating and discomfiting all at once. "You know the alternative if you fail..." That last part was almost a whisper- there's a hint of desperation.

"Don't worry, I won't fail." Jiraiya-_sensei_.

"I find it difficult to believe that..." the woman again... "It has been years since Tsunade turned her back on us- that she would return now... at the news of further loss..? Do you truly believe what you are suggesting? Are you going to let nostalgia blind you to the reality of our situation? Blind faith was the reason for the leniency given to your other teammate and now we must live with the consequences those choices. Is Konoha going to have to also suffer the consequences of your judgement Jiraiya..? Think carefully"

There's a moment of heavy silence. So much so I can almost feel it like a physical weight pressing down on me.

"Tsunade... Tsunade is no Orochimaru... If I were to become Hokage, as you wanted, Konoha would have to live with the consequences of my judgement anyway."

More silence.

" We all have our failings, the team seven that preceded us was not without its share of problems..."

"And despite those failings Jiraiya, we never abandoned our comrade; we stuck with Sarutobi, together till the end."

Ouch.

Sensei, of course, does not reply. At least I can now identify the speakers. _Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura- _the old man's teammates_.  
_  
Immediately the events preceding unconsciousness come rushing back. I remember; Orochimaru... the old man._  
_

"Old man..." I never expect it to end that way... I never expected **him** to end that way... What-

"I see you've finally given up the pretence of unconsciousness... Uzumaki Naruto."

Shut up bitch... I was totally unconscious at first. If I wasn't lying here vulnerable I would-

"Gaki... get up."

But I don't wanna...

"We have a mission..."

A mission you say... hmm, yes. To find Tsunade I'm guessing. I think I've had my fill of the sannin, thank you very much. Can't we move on to another lege-

"We're going to be travelling for a while so pack appropriately"

I respond with a barely intelligible 'hmgrbm?'

"You can sleep when we get there brat, we're going to find my old teammate."

"Urgh...Hai... hai."

I sit up- a bit shakily at the accompanying feeling of being flipped upside down. If it wouldn't have made me look like a total pussy in front of present company, I'd have been unable to hold down the sickness that came with my disorientation.

Dammit.

"Take a moment to collect yourself Uzumaki..."

Instead of a retort I breathe deeply and open my eyes. It takes a few moments for them to adjust and for me to realise there isn't at all much light in this room.  
It looks a bit sparse too.

Old wood panelling across the wall, a rather modest though sturdy looking desk and strangely not a chair in sight. Its faint but there appears to be tiny writings in the oddest of places.  
_Seal-script._

The light hangs oddly in this room... The corners are suspiciously shadowy despite most of the room having a rather even, though muted illumination. I suspect there might be shinobi hiding there... my senses haven't fully come back to me yet though and I can't sense any chakra presence.

"Are you well Uzumaki...?"

Hn?

A snicker... sensei... what the fuck are you laughing at you old-  
"There's no-one there gaki. Pull yourself together- we're on a tight schedule..."

Neh neh neh neh.. tight schedule.. fuck you..!

I oblige in any case. I immediately regret my haste.

Oh god. As effortless as swinging my legs over the side of my cot proved to be, standing on them is a different story. I master myself admirably though and manage to take two steps before standing erect. How long was I out for? Atrophy, already?

The old bird looks at me in what looks like... approval. Well, shucks, I try.

"It's good to see you on your feet again Uzumaki." Err

"Err... Thanks..?"

"Don't be so modest, you've been through quite the ordeal..."

Right... sure old man, I guess. I don't know much about the Sandaime's advisors/teammates having only met them on one other occasion, a long time ago, I'm pretty sure they've never been so...nice- albeit solemn.

I look over to Jiraiya-sensei who's now looking oddly proud and parental- its over in a split second and he's back to carrying that familiar, well-practised, pervy leer.

"In any case, you two must be going. This mission is of the utmost importance to Konoha. I cannot stress the consequences of failure enough."

I stand a bit straighter and give the obligatory "Hai"

"Come on kid, let's get your things together"

"Hai" This is too surreal... I really need to get out of here. Besides, some fresh air would do me some good (and the old people are weirding me out). Just as my hand touches the door-

"Uzumaki..." Shit.

Give me a fucking break granny, I thought we had to get going...

"Congratulations on your promotion."

Hmm... That's great... I'll just be go- wait. What!

The old man, Homura- he hands me a green vest that I easily recognise. After all, I'd coveted such things once and always though people like Dolphin-head and the rest of the academy wastes never deserved to wear it.

Everyone's staring...

Wait.

"Err..." Eloquent

"Arigato-gozaimasu"

I'm a bit shocked to find myself actually thankful.

I mean, I deserve this, and much more... they **owe **me. So its more like '_Its about muthafuckin-timemasu'_

"Come on kid, don't think cause you're a chuunin now you can ignore the great Jiraiya-sama."

Uh... Right...

Damn, chuunin.

Go me.

**A/N:**

I'm not sure I can find the time or motivation to properly get back into this but I found this interlude on my computer and thought I'd post it. I'll probably regret it once the feeling of obligation to continue writing hits- unfortunately I can make no promises as between work and this 'fine shawty i be tryna get with' (successfully :D), I haven't got time.

Need I mention the fact that fanfic is fairly unsexy and won't at all help my case?

I knew you'd understand. Cheers


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